Furyan
by Seldom Prodigy
Summary: The Namikaze— few know its origins. When Minato bind-sealed the Kyūbi and the Hiraishin inside of his son, the outcome was anything but liable. Eight years later, the child awakens the eyes of an extinct race capable of boundless power. Unfortunately... the light hurts his eyes... Will he shroud himself in darkness...? (Dojutsu, Haki wielding Naruto)
1. Chapter 1

_**Furyan**_

* * *

_**+Three Hours After Kyūbi's Attack+**_

_Naruto is Furyan... You know what that means, Sandaime-sama..._

Sarutobi sighed remembering the last words of his predecessor. He stared down at the child in the small crib with emotional ache. He tried, but failed. The child's parents were no more. He had only been in office for such a short time, yet they had already lost their fourth Hokage. "I should've waited... Then _I_ would be the one heading for my grave... Not your father and mother, child..."

The last Namikaze— No. The last _Furyan_. How unfortunate.

Just like the Senju, another of the three founding clans of Konoha had gone all but extinct, leaving only little Naruto to carry the burden. Segregated and unknown but as important as the Senju and the Uchiha. Dubbed as the Namikaze and passed down in history as such, but the truth only known by the Hokages themselves.

It was unavoidable.

The Furyans were a clan full of savages. They were monstrous, unstoppable Shinobi of unimaginable power— just like the Senju. Unfortunately, just as they were great in raw strength, they lacked in stable emotionality— just like the Uchiha. Even foreign powers feared their might back in the times of the Shodaime.

"Sandaime-sama."

The Hokage glanced to the side. "Kakashi..." He gave another morbid sigh and gestured for the teen to come closer. "Come, see the result of todays disaster." The older man heard how the ANBU captains sandals stepped to stand beside him. "An orphan... One of many. But you know well why this one is particularly different..."

"Sensei's legacy..." Kakashi felt an emotion of anger trigger within him. He directed that emotion to his hands, clutching them into fists. "This all seems like a damn nightmare...!"

"Calm yourself, child. There is more you must know." Sarutobi ignored the odd look the operative turned to give. A quick scan of the insides of his office told him they were alone. Of course— even his ANBU were recuperating from the battle. "In his last breath and with a hole in his stomach, the Yondaime told me his dying words."

Kakashi felt his eyes peel. "He was still alive when you got there...?! How is that possible...?"

Sarutobi grasped his hands behind him and narrowed his eyes at the baby, who rolled in his crib uncomfortably, his tiny hands rubbing against his scarred cheeks. "Your Sensei was a Furyan, an Alpha Furyan— the last one... Did you believe his near-superhuman level of physical strength, speed, agility, intellect, reflexes, durability and skill with _knives_ were a mere coincidence?"

The one eyed teen gasped at the revelation. "A... Furyan...?!" Everyone, including he had heard rumors, legends even. But they were as believable as the existence of the Sage of the Six Paths himself. "An Alpha no less...? Impossible. The existence of that clan has never been confirmed. How could my Sensei, a Namikaze, be a _Furyan_?"

"The Namikaze _are_ Furyans. Their names changed, but not their existence." Sarutobi cleared up. "Most of them were banished or killed by the efforts of the Shodaime and the Uchiha. They were wild, unruly and _extremely_ powerful— they could not be controlled. Especially the lineage of the Alpha Furyans; the clan's leaders. It is said the leader of the Alpha might have been as powerful as Uchiha Madara and my Sensei, Senju Hashirama. Your Sensei was that man's great grandson."

Kakashi stared down at the small bundle in the crib with noticeable shock. This was far too much information to swallow in one day. "Then that means..."

"Correct. This boy, this child sleeping before us is the last Alpha Furyan." His head bowed in sadness at the phrase. "The Furyans, the Uchihas and the Senjus. These are the three founding clans. At the time, the Furyans were few in number and hunted down during the Warring Clan's Era for their... eyes."

"Eyes...?" Kakashi slurred in confusion.

"Yes. The Alpha Furyans had a special Dojutsu that distinguished them from the rest of the Furyans. Which is why at the time they had no choice but to join the Uchiha and the Senju if they were to survive. After the incident with Madara, Hashirama-sama quickly noticed their uncontrolled behavior.

"They attacked other hidden villages without permission, killed and mutilated the corpses of foreign civilians, and burnt down towns that were outside our borders. Fearing an international incident, Shodaime-sama took a drastic decision; banish the clan. Of course, they refused to leave their newly made home. A battle between the Furyans and the Senju ensued with the Uchiha supporting the latter. However, the outcome was anything but favorable. The Uchiha suffered heavy losses, the Senju went nearly extinct, and the Furyans died out completely.

"Hashirama-sama died soon after from his injuries against the leader of the Furyans. But before he perished he met the last female Furyan, the sister of the man responsible for his death. Seeing the kindness in her heart, Hashirama-sama changed her name to Namikaze and spared her from the fate of her clan. It was the usual show of kindness he was known for. Nidaime-sama, however, was less complacent. After the death of his brother, he came to loath the woman. But like divine intervention or perhaps for the sake of irony, the Gods intervened; he fell in love with the female Furyan."

"_Nidaime_-sama did?" Kakashi questioned in understandable denial. That man had a certain reputation over clan affiliated manners.

Sarutobi chuckled silently not wanting to risk the chance of the child awakening. "Yes, the logic-based, realistic by nature Nidaime-sama. Not much is known about their relationship. I was but a child back then, and I only caught glimpses of them ever together. She was quite the beauty, even I could see that. However, her personality was rather... feisty. Perhaps it was her Furyan heritage."

Kakashi was smart enough to add everything up with the information provided. He swallowed the breath he was keeping. "Are you saying Sensei mastered the _Hiraishin_ because the Nidaime was his grandfather?"

"Not exactly." The Sandaime said. "The _Hiraishin_ is a Jutsu that can be mastered like any other— the Hokage Guard Platoon is testament to that. However, none of them came close to mastering the technique at its full capacity. Which leads me to believe that you need a certain blood trait to master it completely. Almost like-"

"A Bloodline!" Kakashi finished out loud.

The baby squirmed and begun a sequence of tiny hiccups.

"WAAAAH!"

Then, he began using his lungs as he cried in discomfort.

_*FLASH!*_

Then, the inexplicable happened... The child disappeared in a flash of very familiar yellow...

"Kami..." Kakashi muttered, his eye wider than ever before. "Sandaime-sama! The child! He disappeared using the _Hiraishin_! But how is that possible?! He doesn't even have chakra yet!"

Sarutobi could see that for himself. However, his brain still had trouble processing the very logic of such an occurrence. Fortunately, he had already seen it before. "Yondaime-sama sealed the knowledge of the Jutsu into the child along with the fox— to protect him he had said. Of course, he has absolutely no control over it and is using Kyūbi's chakra to cast the Jutsu. Not only that, but we run the risk of him flashing to some unknown area every time he is flustered or unhappy."

"Are you telling me a child who isn't even five hours old is using an S-rank Jutsu?!" Kakashi asked refuting the statement.

"That's right. However, I'm sure the occurrence will decrease once he gains control of his emotions. This only helps prove my theory of the _Hiraishin_ further..." Out of his robes, the elder summoned his pipe and balanced it between his lips. "There's a reason I'm telling you all this, Kakashi. I want you to keep a close eye on the little Furyan while he is in the orphanage. When he turns one you will take custody of him."

Kakashi nodded, but his mind couldn't help worry for the child's _current_ safety. "Is this what the council agreed on?"

"No." Sarutobi flatly denied. "The council voted to leave the child to fend for himself. Of course, I bid with their wishes by not using standard Shinobi to guard him twenty-four-seven. But I never said I wouldn't use _my_ personal ANBU to take care of the child."

"As expected of you to find a loophole, Sandaime-sama." Kakashi's hands were unable to stay still any longer as he recalled the missing child. "Um, I'm not questioning your logic, sir. But shouldn't we go look for the baby?"

Again the older man's right hand went for his robes. He handed the one eyed ANBU a folded piece of paper. "The coordinates to Minato's safe houses are written down on that. Memorize it, then burn it to a crisp after. It is likely Naruto teleported to one of those locations. Collect the customized kunais that are there and bring them to me. I've already collected all the ones he might've used during his battle tonight. Of course, there are bound to be some that I failed to collect, so don't get _too_ confident."

Kakashi took his leader's words to heart. He had a feeling that Jutsu would be trouble somewhere down the line. "Sandaime-sama, am I to assume I will be Naruto's guardian one year from now?"

"Correct." A spark in his pipe later, and it caught aflame. He breathed in and exhaled the venom far from both of them. "At least until I deem the child old enough to take care of his basic needs. Possibly when he turns five or six, time will tell." One last drag, and the smoke left through his nostrils. "Go."

He didn't get to finish before the Shinobi was gone, leaving nothing but a lone wind dragging at the corners of the curtains. He smiled, at least there was somebody who honestly cared for the child's well being. In a moment of weakness, he stared at a picture of Minato hanging from the wall— specifically his eyes. '_Minato... Your lack of hatred and sorrow rebuked the need for your Fuyran Dojutsu to develop... Hopefully, your child will follow those same steps_.'

* * *

_**+Five Years Later+**_

"Kakashi!"

The ANBU captain removed his standard issue mask and hung it over the key holder. He watched as the child turned a corner, jumped and stuck to the wall with sheer momentum, only to jump straight for him. '_He does his Furyan blood justice with such dexterity at five years old_...' He caught the child and spun him, smiling under his mask, the joyful Naruto laughing at the ride. "How was your day today, little Naru?"

"Tch," Naruto tsked his tongue. "Boring as hell~! Why are you always gone?!"

Kakashi sat the little overall wearing child down and removed his holy mask, revealing his almost godly level handsome feats to the child. "You know well why. I've told you before, Naruto-kun. I have a mission every once in a while that I can't ignore. You have food in the fridge and a year's worth of ramen in the kitchen. What do you want me here for anyway?"

"You're my dad. And since I don't have a mom, I read in a book that dads are supposed to be with their sons a lot, right?"

Kakashi felt an unfamiliar sensation of warmth swell up in his heart. It was a humbling feeling that wrenched his heartstrings very powerfully. It was white hot, unstoppable and full of emotions— all by just hearing the boy mutter the barely coherent words. He had to use his Shinobi training to hold himself back from hugging the blue eyed blond.

Instead, he kneeled down and ruffled the young one's blond hair with the affection of a father. The five year old appreciated the gesture as he grinned with the intensity one would expect from a child.

A knock on the door interrupted their little moment.

Kakashi turned around abruptly and returned his silk mask to its rightful place. He turned the knob and opened the wooden door. Two ANBU stood before him, each with his own mask. One glanced at the boy hiding behind his leg. Kakashi narrowed his eye at the man. He could already feel the distaste he had for Naruto.

"We are here for Uzumaki Naruto. We are to relocate him to an apartment, where he will from now on live on his own. These are Sandaime-sama's orders." His hand reached for the child behind Kakashi.

Instinctively, Kakashi's left hand shot out and clutched the man's wrist before it reached the frightened Naruto. Since he wasn't wearing a Hitai-ate, Kakashi's Sharingan eye calmly came to the open. That was a clear warning for the ANBU. Still, Kakashi felt what he was doing was illogical. They were orders. He _followed_ orders. But this feeling of protectiveness could not allow these men to take the boy. "I request to confirm these, _orders_ myself."

"Denied." The other ANBU stoically told the Sharingan wielder. "Our orders are definite. You cannot defy our Hokage, Hatake-san."

"Watch me."

A shrill silence swept the short distance between them, while Kakashi refused to release the other ANBU's wrist. Naruto could only tighten his arms around Kakashi's left leg. He was truthfully scared of these men.

The other man suddenly reached for Naruto, while the other pulled back to escape Kakashi's lock.

Kakashi somehow pushed Naruto back to land on his butt. He pulled the man in his grasp to backhand him in the face with his remaining hand, causing him to stagger back. He did a full turn and kneed the remaining guy in the chest, forcing him to land on his back. Out of thin air, he made a kunai appear in each hand, twirling them skillfully. With perfect skill he pressed said kunais to the throat of each man, daring them to make a move. He glared down at them with murder in each of his distinctive eyes.

"Kakashi."

The man's piercing gaze went to his left. The Hokage stood there, smoking. He felt an odd rage well up seeing him so relaxed. "Hokage-sama, what is the meaning of this?!" The man demanded.

"Dad...!" Kakashi glanced over his shoulder at Naruto. Tears were helplessly streaming down his eyes. "Please don't...! Ngh, bastards! LEAVE HIM ALONE!"

"Naruto, wait! I'm ok-!"

_*FLASH!*_

The child was gone in a flash of yellow.

Kakashi cursed at the disappearance of the boy. '_It's been years since he's unconsciously used that Jutsu_...' He stood and made the kunais disappear. He stepped up to the Sandaime and stood before him. "What's going on? I believe you said Naruto would stay with me until the beginning of his Academy days."

"Do not try and mix my words, Kakashi." The Hokage wisely advised. He turned to the other ANBU agents and adjusted his voice. "You two, Naruto is in my office. Take him where instructed. You saw nothing here."

"Hai, Hokage-sama!" They were gone in a blur.

Sarutobi's eyes went for Kakashi once more. "I may be old, but I remember perfectly the events of that day. I told you that the boy would be with you until he could live on his own. He may be five years old, but he is old enough to fulfill his basic necessities. You knew well being with him was a double edged blade..." His worries were affirmed when Kakashi's eyes fell. "You are growing attached to him, aren't you...?"

"Can you blame me...? I cannot help but worry for his diet while I am out on a mission. He stays alone in the apartment without anybody to look after him. And yet, today... Today, for the first time he called me his dad..." Kakashi's sorrowful eyes pleaded with the Hokage. "He's been with me for four years, Sandaime-sama. Please," Kakashi fell to his knees and bowed. "Let him stay with me."

"Rise, Kakashi." Sarutobi sighed when the man ignored his words. "I was pushing it when I gave you custody of the child the moment he turned one. He was constantly using the _Hiraishin_ and teleporting to my office, I know that— which is why I needed someone to guard him. However, the council did not agree on _you_ taking the child. Up until now I have been able to keep them at bay, but they have been putting pressure on me ever since... Of course, I have been able to keep his real heritage from coming to the open... But with their knowledge of him being the Yondaime's son, I do not know how much longer until they pile up the pieces."

"HE IS _FURYAN_!" Kakashi suddenly exclaimed standing to his full stature. "I mean no disrespect, but you know exactly what will happen if he is left alone to grow his anger! Sensei had Kushina-san, and he wasn't a Jinchūriki like him, his... _eyes_ never manifested because of it— even during the war. But Naruto is young and unable to understand the hate directed to him..."

Sarutobi inhaled a deep intake of white smog. "Precisely." He exhaled the smoke with the word he pronounced. "Danzo knows the child is Furyan. I do not know how he found out, but he gave a me a silent ultimatum— I either force the child to fend for himself, or I hand him over to him and start his Shinobi training with the ANBU. Otherwise, he threatened to make the knowledge of him being Furyan public— this would make Konoha even stronger in the eyes of our enemies.

"It would be like telling the world we have _two_ Uchiha clans instead of one... Overnight, our influence would _double_ should the world know of an Alpha Furyan within our mists— that's Danzo's motive. However, it would indanger Naruto _threefold_ than if the world only knew he was the Yondaime's son. Of course, I refuse to start his Shinobi career so early with such a cruel regime— it would only end his capability to care for anyone."

Kakashi's shoulders noticeably slumped. "Then there is nothing we can do...?"

"There is _always_ something we can do." Sarutobi assured. "Naruto is a curious child, we both know that. He is bound to leave his new apartment and wander the village on his own. You will resume your guard of him, but only from the shadows. Interfere if he is in danger, but only if it's death threatening." He stepped up to the younger man and placed a hand over his shoulder.

"Do _not_ make contact with him, Kakashi. I will keep a _Hiraishin_ kunai in my office, the rest I will plant in his apartment until he has need of them. He will unknowingly teleport to the greatest amount of accumulated kunai every time he is troubled. Of course, he will fall asleep after, but that is for the best. He cannot know of the _Hiraishin_ until he is ready. If his eyes _mutate_... Inform me immediately. We'll see what we can do..."

* * *

_**+Three Years Later+**_

Naruto's back clashed against the hard bark of a tree. He slid down and fell flat on his stomach. He glared at his two assailants through the pitch black darkness provided by the forest. Two Chūnin had taken him from his apartment in the middle of the night, gagged him, and tied his hands behind his back. "Wat a yu doin?!" He demanded through the cloth.

"What now?!"

"Let's kill him."

"Are you sure we won't get caught?!"

"Even the ANBU cooperated by letting us through the walls! They turned a blind eye when we carried him over the rooftops! Nobody will testify to find this little bastard's murderer! Let's just do it quickly!"

Naruto bared his teeth and bit down on the gag.

Again...

Again he was being treated like a pest for some unknown reason. This time they would finally do it— they would kill him.

'_Fine then_...' He thought, closing his blue marbles.

He refused to let them catch a single glimpse of his teary eyes— he refused to shed a single tear. Everyone wanted his death so badly, right? So be it. He was foolish to think that now that he had joined the Academy he would be able to make at least one friend. Four months in, and only hate and disgust were the major reactions to his pleas of being interactive with them.

'_Dad_...'

The only man who had truthfully cared for him was gone now. He had spent the last three years wandering the village, searching for him. Whenever he asked anyone, they would either ignore him or reprimand him for no reason. It hurt him to no end. It was like a searing pain of emptiness had taken over his heart. He had tasted companionship and now he wanted more, but now he realized that would never be...

'_You are not meant to die in such a miserable way, little Furyan_...' A voice echoed through his mind. It was smooth, sweet and full of care— something alien to him. But he discarded it as a mere delusion of his already forfeited life. '_You have been blind for far too long, child. But no more... use this power and peer through the darkness with your God-given gift_...'

Naruto felt the urge to rub at his eyes. Incapable of doing so, he reopened them. A new, blinking white glow similar to that of a feline in the dark, _ripped_ through the darkness with its unnatural glow. The sight before him turned into light purple and blood red, his vision stretched on to indefinite proportions and it served to distinct anything his sight focused on with ease.

'_What is this...?_' He thought in bewilderment. '_My sight... what happened? I can see better than I ever did during the day..._' The darkness in his heart lifted, and it was immediately filled with the will to survive, to live, but more importantly, _rage_...

The two Chūnins gawked at the color that had taken ahold of the blond's previously blue eyes. "His eyes... They're glowing white...!"

"AAAAAAHH!" Using sheer strength, Naruto ripped the tight ropes keeping his hands bind and removed his gag. He charged and jumped to gain some height, fist reeled back. He clashed his fist against the first Chūnin's nose, breaking it on contact. Still in midair, he turned his body right with his foot heading for the remaining man's face.

But them being Chūnin was no mere title. The remaining one caught Naruto's shin and swung him straight for a solid tree. Naruto's head crashed against the tree, almost taking his consciousness.

"Get up! Let's finish this!"

The one with the broken nose quickly got to his feet and stood next to his partner. Both of them pulled out a kunai out of their pouch.

Neither got to use it.

The sound of a thousand birds chirping ringed through the forest. Kakashi came down from the shadows, a flash of periwinkle blue following his left hand. He came up behind the first and stabbed him through his heart. In the same second, he pulled his lightning encased Jutsu out of the man's chest and stabbed the remaining one through the throat without the least bit of remorse. The last made desperate gargling noises in an effort to breath, only to accelerate his death by his own means.

Both bodies fell to the ground at the same time. Kakashi lifted his ANBU mask and walked through their growing pools of blood. He kneeled next to Naruto, his eyes softening at the sight.

The blond could only stare at the face of the person he had been looking for for years. His vision of purple and red could easily read his mask— it was him. "Dad... You're back..."

Kakashi held back the tears that were surely to come. He had waited so long to hear those words, and there they were. He watched as the boy's bright, luminescent eyes closed to announce the lack of awareness. "I'm so sorry I took so long, Naruto. But now with the proof of your Furyan blood awakening, Danzo's goal has been met. I will fight for you so we can both go back to that time when our home was so full of life."

* * *

_**A/N: You will not see aliens, Devil Fruits, spaceships or stuff like that. This is not a crossover with Riddick, nor One Piece— I'm only borrowing elements.**_


	2. Chapter 2

**_Furyan_  
**

* * *

"Hello, little Furyan..."

Naruto opened his eyes. He was met with an endless darkness. He raised his hands to see them blood red with a lively purple accompanying them. Logically, this was the work of his new eyes— he could figure that much. But as he stared forward there was nothing but black. That was odd. "Where am I...?"

"In your dreamscape..."

Naruto turned around spontaneously. A woman, a female with an interesting hairstyle and an even more interesting choice of clothing. Braided hair and clothing that of a priestess. Naruto bent his knees and kept one hand forward, one hand back, ready to subdue the woman if necessary. "Who are you?!"

"At ease, child..." The woman lulled, her voice smooth and gentle; like the one Naruto had heard before receiving his eyes. "My name is Shirah, a guide for all Furyans in existence..."

"You keep saying Furyan this, Furyan that..." Naruto grumbled aggravated. "What the hell is a Furyan?! And why is my sight suddenly looking red and purple? Did you tweak my eyes?!"

Shirah smiled. It served to calm the boy tremendously. There was so much warmth in the expression that he couldn't help feel a certain sense of security. "I did nothing to your eyes, Naruto. Similar to the Uchiha, a special kind of chakra was activated in your brain the moment you gave up on life. I've been dormant within you for years, waiting. Waiting for your power to surface. The power you were born to wield as an Alpha Furyan."

Naruto's luminous eyes widened at the woman's words. "I'm an Alpha Furyan..." He deadpanned. "The hell's that?" He shook his head, striding away the matter. "More importantly, these eyes are a Dojutsu?! Like the Sharingan and the Byakugan?!"

The woman's smile grew as the blond stared at his hands with his newly acknowledged eyes. Such innocence. "The Sharingan cannot affect your eyes and the Byakugan will be limited against you. If you train them wisely, your Furyan eyes will keep you from falling in any Genjutsu and prohibit any Byakugan from seeing you in the darkness. The latter will be harder for you to master."

"Awesome!" Naruto bursted out, incapable of holding in his excitement. "I can't wait to have everyone see my new eyes! They'll be sooo jealous, especially Sasuke-teme!"

Shirah's hand went to cup her mouth in an effort to stifle a small giggle that dared to escape. She had never met a Furyan with such an energetic complexion. "I do not know what this... _Sasuke-teme_ is but, he sounds very irritating from your tone of voice." She dropped her hand and her smile turned into a very thin line. "There is something you must know about our clan before you go around exposing your heritage to anyone, child...

"History has not treated our race kindly because of our precious eyes. While most of those who unlocked the Furyan eyes were Alpha, there were those _very_ rare occasions where our branch members, the normal Furyans, also developed the Dojutsu. We were hunted down with more perseverance because of this... Misunderstandings spread, and our enemies believed that our eyes were the source for our enhanced strength, speed, intellect and endurance."

"Wait!" Naruto stopped, his hands raised to further emphasize his request. At a surprising speed, his mind made the connections with the information provided. "So I'm a Furyan... No, an _Alpha_ Furyan, the last... one...?" His face fell in dismal, shadowing his expression while leaving nothing but the relucent glow of his eyes. Why had he allowed himself to hope so recklessly?

"So..." The blond muttered, his eyes rising to demonstrate the perfectly molded expression of raw fury. "Who are the ones responsible for my race going _extinct_...?"

Shirah hid a smirk. Ah, there it was... The natural thirst for vengeance all Furyans are known for, visible over those mirrors of pure white...

* * *

_**+Kakashi's Apartment+**_

Naruto fell from the bed and face first to the wooden floor.

'_Ow_...' Was his first thought. Secondly, he opened his eyes, regretting it _tremendously_. "AAAHHHH DAAAD!"

The door to the room immediately burst open clashing against the opposing wall. "Naruto! What's wrong?!" Kakashi asked in panic, wearing a plain white T-shirt and blue Shinobi pants with matching sandals.

"MY EYES!" Naruto exclaimed, running in stupidly fast circles. "They're on freakin' fire!"

Kakashi deadpanned, his one opened eye showing his lack of amusement. "Then close them."

Naruto stopped his running and closed his eyes, a tinge of pink on each pouting cheek. Grumbling, he crossed his arms across his chest. He pouted in annoyance over his _new_ dilemma. "Now I can't see..."

"Then we just have to look for some sunglasses..." Kakashi calmly told the eight year old.

Naruto opened his eyes a tad bit. It was enough to let a menial amount of light through his delicate retina. He opened them a little wider until they were at a normal size, in hopes that his Furyan eyes could get used to it. But the light was overwhelming even after a little while of waiting. He sighed and closed them again. "Fine... But I need some that will cover them completely. Normal sunglasses will let light get through the sides,"

"Good thing I'm prepared," Kakashi pulled something out of his pockets and kneeled before Naruto. "Don't move and keep them closed, ok?"

The boy nodded once.

Kakashi used both thumbs to press each black lens over each eye. Carefully, he guided the black rubber across his blond head, tightening it with the adjusted clips until they were comfortably embracing Naruto's head. "Open them."

Naruto did so. This time, there was no blinding light. There was only the normal perception and balance of every color, only with an abnormal amount of resolution. The first thing Naruto saw was the mask-less face of Kakashi giving him a wide smile, his eyes closed. "How's it look...?"

The blond suddenly had his arms around the ANBU operative's neck. Kakashi was taken completely by surprise. He gave a faint and almost unnoticeable chuckle. His much longer and capable arms completely surrounded the boy's back, his right hand patting the back of Naruto's blond head. "Heh, they're that good, huh...?"

* * *

_**+The Front Gates of the Academy+**_

"Swear you won't disappear if I go in."

Kakashi sighed once more. "Naruto-kun, I swear I won't disappear— I am not made of smoke. You do know this is _literally_ the fifty-seventh time you've made me swear the same thing since we left the apartment. And it's two blocks away."

Kids and parents passed by them as their argument winded up being a childish scuffle, with a straight-faced Kakashi pushing Naruto's face away and the latter giving a futile attempt to hit him.

Naruto, who wore a zip up, ghost white jacket with a green stripe going down each long sleeve, blue Shinobi pants with matching sandals and a bag he used for class, frowned at the man. "You disappeared for three years and left me alone to suffer. Usually, I don't trust that kind of people." Naruto lifted his goggles to intensify his shining glare, his lips pouting in disapproval. "Swear it or prepare to embrace death."

Kakashi grinned under his mask. He lifted his right index finger and placed it where the rubber met in between both circular lenses. He pushed them down until both of Naruto's shining orbs were hidden once more. "I swear, that I'll be standing right here, leaning against this," he pointed at the pillar left of him with the same index finger, "same pillar when classes are over. That good enough for ya?"

Kakashi observed how Uchiha Sasuke's figure passed right by Naruto. Something odd occured. He felt killer intent. More so from Naruto than from Sasuke, but that wasn't what bothered him. What did, was that the amount of thirst for blood rivaled that of a _full_ fledged Genin.

Sasuke stopped right next to Naruto shoulder to shoulder, with the Uchiha shoving his hands in his pockets. Kakashi knew Naruto was glaring through his goggles straight into Sasuke's onyx eyes.

The last loyal Uchiha in Konoha, screaming as such by his clothing, felt something new from the blond idiot. Something interesting and unknown. For the first time, he felt like the prey instead of the predator. The target instead of the kunai. He directed chakra into his eyes, and his Sharingan came to life with _three_ spinning tomoes in each retina. "What are you looking at...?"

Kakashi willed back a gasp. Those eyes, those matured Sharingan eyes. According to the aftermath report Ibuki had dug out of the kid's memories, there was nothing that could suggest the child had gained the Sharingan after the Uchiha Massacre. But the boy's eyes said something else entirely. That Sharingan was a fully matured Dojutsu... Could Itachi had done something for such a development?

Naruto's lips were a very thin line through the Uchiha's words. Calmly, his right hand came up to push his goggles upwards. Slowly and very confidently, Naruto opened his eyes. The eyes of two nearly extinct clans glared into the other's with the ferocity of two beasts. Descendants of two powerful clans, and mirrors to the pain of their people.

"Interesting eyes..." Sasuke muttered, the sanguine eyes of his clan a powerful virtue to demonstrate his confidence. "I wonder what they're capable of..."

Naruto scoffed with the audacity of a Furyan— the predator clan of the Hyūga and Uchiha. "Yeah, my thoughts exactly..."

Sasuke huffed to let his departure known. He walked away, his eyes morphing into their normal onyx. For the first time in the last few weeks, a smile crept across his lips at an interesting thought. Finally, someone worthy of his time...

"Naruto." Kakashi began, his voice disapproving. "Showing your eyes so recklessly is something you should think before doing."

"Because I'm Furyan, right?" No physical reaction escaped Kakashi. Naruto, however, needed no such a thing to know the captain was surprised he knew so much. "If you keep your promise of being here when I come out, Tou-chan." Naruto gave Kakashi a grin that showed off most of his teeth. "I might consider telling you how I know I'm Furyan." He adjusted his goggles and crossed his arms behind his head, the grin not leaving his face.

Kakashi gave a small snigger. "I was gunna be here anyways, but ok then." He ruffled the blond's hair and fell into a serious demeanor. "But seriously, Naruto. I don't think you should show your Dojutsu to just anyone."

"Uchiha Sasuke isn't just anyone, Dad." Naruto corrected. "If there's one thing I've learned about him over these few months, is that he would rather die than lose to someone. Especially me, the supposed failure of the Academy. That little battle of eyes we had there..." His grin grew impossibly larger as Kakashi removed his hand from his head. "Means me and Sasuke just accepted each other as rivals."

* * *

_**+Hokage's Office+**_

"You wanted to see me, Hokage-sama?"

Sarutobi sighed when Kakashi leisurely came walking from behind him. "Windows are for fresh air to circulate this stall room, Kakashi. Doors are for problems being carried by Shinobi. Shinobi, while justly, killed two Chūnins without hesitation."

"Am I to assume I'm one of those Shinobi carrying a burden for you, sir?" Kakashi asked, sitting before the Hokage on the available wooden chair. "Excuse me if I offended you, Hokage-sama. But with the conversation about to take place, I assumed you would like to have it without anyone noticing I was ever here..." Kakashi did a double check of his surroundings. "That is why your personal ANBU is not here, correct...?"

"Sharp as ever I see..." Sarutobi nodded in affirmative. The old man leaned back into his chair, fingers interlocked with their counterpart. "Well then, tell me, Kakashi." The Hokage began, eyes narrowing. "Why should I allow the last Furyan in the village under your custody, when I denied you the same right over the Uchiha?"

"Because of the two," Kakashi started, both of his eyes opening. "Naruto is the most dangerous to leave alone... Especially with him knowing he is Furyan now." By the dilation in the elder's eyes, Kakashi could tell he caught the man's attention. "He told me that just now. He has yet to ask questions and that worries me. Why wouldn't he be curious about his own heritage? Obviously, it is because somebody is providing him with the answers... However, I cannot tell what he has learned. Earlier I saw him happy over the fact that Sasuke had accepted him as a worthy rival."

"This is bad." Sarutobi lamented, keeping his fingers crossed while both elbows met his desk. "If he finds out about the Senju and Uchiha being responsible for his extinct race, a very powerful conflict could ensue between him and Sasuke. You say his eyes have already manifested, so there's nothing that can be done about that..."

"Hai, that's already too late, Hokage-sama..." Kakashi said monotonously. "Naruto has awakened the Furyan Dojutsu... Not only that, but Sasuke also has a fully matured Sharingan. I do not know what to make of this... The only idea that comes to mind is that Itachi must've done something to awaken it to such an extent... But even then, it makes little sense... It should take years for a Sharingan to develo - unless!" Kakashi's eyes widened. "Sarutobi-sama, Sasuke has-!"

"Awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, right...?" Sarutobi gave a sigh of sheer sadness at such a realization. Both of them so young, with the entirety of their lives still ahead of them... and already...'_Itachi...__To force the Mangekyō Sharingan out of the boy, what did you do to him...? Why would Itachi do such an atrocious thing in the first place...? To offer him further protection from Danzo, perhaps...?_'

The Mangekyō Sharingan... A terrifying power with an even more terrifying cost...

"Kakashi." The old man's voice was straight and firm. "Naruto, Sasuke and Hinata are in the same class. All three of them have immense talent that I believe will lead them to greatness, or to tragedy. Hinata does not worry me. She is confident, loyal and prodigious, but above all, very humble. Although her kind nature and sweet demeanor is frowned upon by her clan, I believe that is her most defining feature if she is to change the Hyūga."

Sarutobi's eyebrows knitted together in further thought. "Sasuke used to be a kind child before Itachi did what he did... But now, he's arrogant, cold and cynical. He is truly worrying... Having those eyes does not help the matter at all. But he will refuse any unnecessary aid that doesn't involve getting him stronger. Which leaves me no choice but to let him be... For now."

"Then," Kakashi muttered antsy. "What of Naruto?"

Sarutobi nodded as he continued. "As you say, Naruto is the most dangerous of the pair. He is Furyan. According to previous records, it is said his clan were the natural predators of the Uchiha and Hyūga. We must keep the knowledge of Sasuke's ancestors being partly responsible for his clan's extinction. If he realizes this, I fear the child might swear revenge upon him, driving their premature relationship into something more dangerous than a mere rivalry-"

"Forgive me for interrupting, Hokage-sama." Kakashi interjected as politely as possible. "But please, quit beating around the bush. I need to know, will you let Naruto stay with me?"

Sarutobi observed the man wearily. Naruto was Furyan, an attachment would do him good just as much as it could hurt him. He could see it in Kakashi's eyes— that passion and that drive to protect Naruto. If he didn't know the man, he would honestly confuse him for Naruto's true father. "Very well, Kakashi. Naruto can stay with you. Unlike Sasuke, Naruto doesn't want to be left alone. But remember, there may be those who will stop at nothing to see you separated. Tread carefully..."

"Rest assured, Hokage-sama." Kakashi's eyes filled with the determination, the resolve and the protectiveness of a father who was also a Shinobi. It was like he had found something that he was willing to die for and it had become his reason to live. "Kami-sama himself will find it difficult to separate me from him..."

* * *

_**+Academy+**_

Naruto stared at the door. Was it always this splintered and scraped? Surely, his sight wasn't that bad before unlocking his eyes. No, if he remembered correctly he had the best eyesight in the class— behind Sasuke and the Hyūga girl respectively. Hmm, he wondered what his VA was now... He frowned. '_I can hear Mizuki-sensei giving a lecture behind this door... The hell, I don't care about Visual Acuity! Why am I so nervous?! And why am I making an inner monologue?!_'

He stared down at his clothes. Sure they were a little exotic from what he usually wore. But who the hell cared about that? "Oh yeah..." His goggles were making him nervous. He lifted them to allow some light to meet his Furyan eyes. The purple and red coloring shone all around, giving him a feeling of confidence and security like that of an animal out of its cage. "Weird..." He muttered, lowering and adjusting his goggles to return his vision to that of a human.

He felt so excited about his Dojutsu a while ago. Now, for some reason he felt kinda self conscious about them. Maybe because he couldn't openly expose them anymore... At least, for a short time. He sighed, what a downer.

Naruto suddenly slid the door open.

"-and that's why you shouldn't use Explosive Tags as toilet paper, _Kiba_." Mizuki finished. He sighed, he knew who that was. "Naruto, I'm glad you decided to join-" he noticed the boy's new clothes and goggles, "-us..."

Naruto closed the sliding door behind him. He made his way to his seat while ignoring the murmurs of both male and females around him. Many whispered about his clothes, others whispered in confusion about his goggles, but only a rare few murmured about the unfamiliar _aura_ around his figure.

He made it to the desk where Sasuke sat. The latter miraculously sat alone, while the one available chair right of him was being occupied by the Uchiha's bag.

Sasuke sat with his chin resting on the palm of his left hand, making the raven haired boy look like he was pouting. His onyx eyes glanced at Naruto lazily. He returned his eyes to the front of the room while his right hand took his bag and hung it from his seat, leaving the chair next to him available.

Naruto nonchalantly sat down, dropping his own bag right next to him.

"He let the _dobe_ sit next to him, but not me?!" Sakura exclaimed, Ino right next to her nodding in agreement to her friend/rival's words.

"And what's up with his goggles?" Ino questioned in muse.

Sakura shrugged. "Maybe he's got pink eye? Can you see anything, Hinata?"

Hinata, who had her Byakugan on, examined the blond's eyes for any infection that could cause worry. But something odd occured. '_I... can't see through his goggles..._' For some reason, that _terrified_ the young Hyūga...

"Naruto." Mizuki began, his smile unwavering. "Sorry but, you can't wear goggles when in class. Please remove them and I will give them to you after class."

"Can't." At his words, which were so cold, so void and unlike anything the boy had ever uttered, the room felt suffocating. "Hokage's orders." It wasn't entirely a lie. The old man would probably want his eyes to remain hidden. "Besides, Shino's alway wearing goggles just like mine."

"True." Mizuki agreed. "But Shino's an Aburame. You are not."

"I'm a fu-"

Sasuke's eyes sharpened as they secretly went for Naruto.

"-lgurous blond that wants to master stealth. These will help, according to Jiji. He told me, to tell you, that if you had a problem then to take it up with him."

Mizuki grunted in defeat. "Ok, then..."

'_What the hell was that...?!_' Sasuke thought in hidden apprehension. '_What was that cold chill I felt when he said...? I felt like the prey of some blood thirsty... animal..._'

* * *

**_A/N: Suggestions to improve my writing are _loved_! Hinata is a bit more confident in this story, just an FYI._  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**_Furyan_  
**

* * *

"Alright, guys." Mizuki began, who stood at the front of the classroom. "The question on the chalkboard, can any of you solve it?" He caught Hinata's hand rise in the back of the room. "Except you, Miss Hyūga. It would be unfair with your Byakugan." He chuckled as the heiress lowered her hand grumbling.

"Come on guys, _anyone_? It's simple!" His took the meter long ruler from his desk and tapped the chalkboard repeatedly. "A kunai is coming from an unknown area at a sixty degree angle with the point heading straight for your head. It is pitch black, and you are out of chakra. What do you do?"

"Run in circles?" Kiba offered while grinning, receiving a round of laughter from most of the class.

"Thank you, Kiba." Mizuki tiredly retorted, his voice laced with sarcasm. "No. What if the kunai is just a motivator to head straight into a mind field of Explosive Tags? Come on, people! Sasuke, I know that you know that I know that you know the answer. Quit looking like you don't and answer!"

"Will it give me unlimited power if I do?"

"What?!" Mizuki blabbered in confusion. "Of course not-!"

"Then giving the answer is irrelevant." He yawned out of habit. "Dobe, answer the man,"

Naruto glanced at Sasuke through his goggles. "Why should I? You payin' me?"

Sasuke ignored the blond's question. "Because then, we can head outside and concentrate on something worthy of our time." He gave a crooked smirk thanks to the hand holding his chin. "Taijutsu."

Naruto narrowed his eyes under his goggles. He grinned— Sasuke made a valid point. "Considering we aren't Hyūga, catching the kunai is impossible unless your skills are Chūnin rank or higher. And, as Mizuki-sensei said, running around is idiotic. No offense, Kiba-"

"Such offensive language against a good joke is frowned upon!"

"-Therefore, following the process of elimination, one answer remains." Naruto tsked his tongue out of the pure need to drag out his answer. "You're pretty much f'd." Naruto grinned as the class dropped into cackles once more. Kiba was slamming his fist on the table repeatedly in amusement.

Seeing as Mizuki was about to start yelling at him, Naruto lifted his right hand. "Kidding. You drop a smoke bomb and head for the branches, disorientating your enemy by doing something pointless while in the darkness. If you're lucky, that distraction will buy you a second to flee for backup."

Mizuki nodded, satisfied with Naruto's answer. "Very good, Naruto! Remember class, a single second mid battle could save your life-"

"That's what you _should_ do if you're some second rate Shinobi." Naruto suddenly declared, interrupting the bewildered Chūnin. "If you're talented, you will use a flash bomb to illuminate the area momentarily. But only long enough to both stun your enemy and pinpoint his location. With enough skill and dexterity, you will memorize his position and slice his throat with the same kunai he threw."

The whole class fell into a drowning silence.

Mizuki stared at the blond slightly taken aback by the answer. Sure, both answers were technically correct. But the second one would be the answer for the last question in the final written test of the _last year_. "Naruto... How did you come up with that so quickly...?"

'_How did I come up with that...?_' He honestly thought it out of instinct. The moment the situation was portrayed, the answer came along. Naruto shrugged at his sensei's question. "It's what I would do..."

The door to the room slid open to shatter the uncomfortable atmosphere. "Mizuki...!" Iruka popped his head out of the small ledge the door offered. "You're still here? Shouldn't the class be outside practicing Taijutsu by now-" Iruka quickly noticed the odd atmosphere in the room. "What's... going on...?"

"Oh, nothing." Mizuki gave a smile that failed to remain steady. "Naruto was just telling us how to properly fissure an enemie's neck with his own kunai." He placed his ruler back on the desk and clapped his hands together. "Alright, class! Time for the second part of your Taijutsu exam! Please exit the room and follow Iruka-sensei to the field!"

"Haaaai~!"

They all started to make their way out.

"Oi, Naruto!" Kiba jumped from his table and landed on Naruto's, Akamaru on his head. "That was some awesome wording dude! When did you turn into such a quick thinker anyways?" Kiba narrowed his eyes at Naruto's goggles, his lips pursed. "And what's with the goggles-"

Naruto caught Kiba's left wrist with his hand, stopping the Inuzuka from touching his goggles. "No touchy, Scooby. My eyes aren't allowed to see the light, Hokage's orders."

"See, that's what I find, _odd_." The eight year old Shikamaru muttered coming into the picture. He stood right of Naruto where the walkway led to the front of the room. He faced the blond, his lazy aptitude radiating even as he stood firm. "Why would Hokage-sama _order_ you to hide your eyes, unless there was the _need_ for something to be hidden."

Naruto narrowed his eyes through the goggles. Oddly enough, the image of Shikamaru bettered even _more_ at the action. "You are far too smart for your own good, Shikamaru."

The Nara smirked shoving his hands away. "Is that a threat?"

For some reason, Naruto felt something _click_ in Shikamaru's head. Damn Nara. "Take it however you like." Naruto suddenly jumped from his seat, flipped back in midair and landed right in front of the door. He pocketed his hands and chuckled at their expressions of amazement. Except Sasuke, he was far too busy staring at the question over the chalkboard aimlessly. "We're the last ones here. Come on dudes, I feel like kicking ass today!"

The blond disappeared as he entered the hallway.

"_Sasuke! Get your ass out here!_" Naruto shouted from the hall.

"Humph." Sasuke arose from his seat and calmly walked around his table. He shoved his hands away and hunched his body forward. "I'm going to enjoy kicking your annoying teeth in, dobe..." The pale skinned boy muttered darkly.

Shikamaru and Kiba shared an odd look with each other. Considering Sasuke's character, that was the closest they had ever seen him act, _malicious._

* * *

_**+Academy's Sparring Field+**_

Naruto considered the education system... flawed. Four years, that's the total amount of time they would spend in the Academy. Today was the midterm that would determine their overall grade for the remainder of the semester. That's exactly why he found it flawed. What was the purpose of the beginning four months, if the Taijutsu exam would be the truly important test?

Like, seriously. Let's say he was superb at fighting, unmatched even. Would they really fail him just because he refused to take the written exams? Would they let such potential go to waist just because he was too lazy to pick up a pencil, but was more than willing to pick up a kunai?

Logic defies such bullshit.

So, the honest truth was, that three quarters of the academy go to convince the council they weren't sending mentally challenged kids to the battlefield. In retrospect preventing Konoha from looking bad. Unhealthy thinking, really.

But again, that brings him back to the first dilemma. What is the purpose of sending a genius to the battlefield if he has no real skill in wielding a kunai in the first place? Maybe he was too young to understand, but either way it made little sense to him.

As Ino and Sakura gave even further proof to make his point further logical— by sparing. He wondered, was Sakura's cuteness supposed to make the enemies feel pity? Hell, maybe that's why the _Henge_ was necessary to graduate...

"Stop." Iruka's voice interrupted his muse. "Hinata, do me a favor," he gave a frustrated sigh. "Please join them. Ino, Sakura, attack Hinata."

'_Hinata...? Hyūga Hinata, right?_'

"Hai, Iruka-sensei!"

Immediately, it was obvious the Hyūga was proficient in Taijutsu. She went in and out, using the clumsiness of the other two to her advantage. Naruto raised an eyebrow in response. Who the hell was this girl? Short, hime style hair, naturally rosy cheeks, round, lavender eyes, and a soft, delicate voice.

Sheesh, the little girl was like the personification of cuteness.

She was a good fighter. If his memory served him well, she was the best in Taijutsu behind Sasuke. She was also the smartest in the class behind Sakura and Sasuke respectively.

"Winner, Hyūga Hinata!" Iruka declared.

"Woaaah!"

"She's strong!"

"And a two on one, no less!"

"Not bad." Naruto muttered out loud, tilting his head to one side at something odd... He could've sworn the girl stiffened once he said that.

"Now then," Iruka began. "The last spar of the day. Uchiha Sasuke, versus Uzumaki Naruto!"

"Huh," Naruto sneered toward Sasuke. "What are the chances of that...?"

"Who cares." Sasuke came out of the crowd and took his place on the left side of the small circle. "Let's get to it." He placed a Sharingan Genjutsu on Iruka's clipboard, so what?

"Yes, ma'am." Naruto jested, stepping up to his own side.

Both glared at the other and readied their stances.

"Kick his ass, Sasuke!"

"You got this, Sasuke-kun!"

"Show him what the Uchiha are capable of!"

"You're going down, Naruto!"

"Shut up!" Sasuke suddenly, and shockingly shouted.

The world fell silent in disbelieve.

Sasuke didn't care. This had more to do than some mere childish fight. This was important to him. If Naruto, _truly_ proved to be a match, then maybe, just maybe, he would have something of interest in Konoha. A village that already felt so void and empty... "Naruto, I don't want you to hold back." His Sharingan flared to life at his words. "If I feel like you're holding back at all... I'll _kill_ you."

"Sasuke!" Iruka also suddenly shouted. "This is a spar! Nobody is gunna get injured, let alone _die_ in this-!"

"I SAID SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" He faced both Iruka and Mizuki. His Sharingan spun and it morphed into three intercepting ellipses, drenching the onyx of his iris with a glowing red. He watched as Iruka and Mizuki fell to the floor unconscious. He ignored the screams of the kids around the teachers. Instead, he fell to a single knee, his left hand clutching at his eye.

"Sasuke!" Naruto exclaimed at the raven haired boy. "There was no need for that! We could've had our own match in the privacy of the training grounds!"

Sasuke caught Naruto's words, but just barely. The pain in his left eye was so tremendous that it irritated the organ as if it was pepper sprayed. He swore he would never use the Mangekyō, for fear of its cost. '_No, just this one time! I need to know... if there's something I can use to grow stronger in Konoha, I won't let anyone get in my way! I need, no... I have to grow stronger! I need to kill Itachi, that bastard has to pay for what he made me do!_' He stood back up and his normal Sharingan took its place in his eyes. "Here I come, Naruto!"

Sasuke ran toward him, Naruto copied. Sasuke's right leg went for Naruto's chest with the added momentum. Naruto slid on his knees and bent his back as much as possible, allowing Sasuke's leg to pass over him. The Uchiha's ankle bone tapped the right lens of his goggles. As Naruto slid across the ground, he suddenly jumped and fell into his stance. '_This bastard... He's going for my goggles...! Idiot, he's ruining everything!_'

"Take them off, Naruto!" Sasuke demanded, his Sharingan taunting. "I bet you can't see with those goggles on. Take them off!"

"Screw you, Uchiha!" Naruto rushed and went for a double roundhouse kick, missing entirely by Sasuke's ducks.

Sasuke swept Naruto's legs from under him. Naruto fell on his back, and Sasuke jumped a good six feet, his right knee aimed for Naruto's stomach.

"GAAAH!" Naruto spat out blood as Sasuke's attack landed perfectly.

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata went to help, but Sakura and Ino each placed a hand over her shoulder. "What?!"

"We can't stop them!" Sakura told the Hyūga, tears at the corners of her eyes. "Let's try and wake up Iruka and Mizuki-sensei instead!" Ino nodded in agreement to the pinket's words.

Hinata nodded back and the girls quickly went to try and wake them from their forced slumber. "Iruka-sensei! Mizuki-sensei! Please wake up, they're going to get hurt!"

As Naruto laid on the floor, Sasuke took the chance and swiftly removed the blond's goggles, throwing them toward Iruka and Mizuki's unconscious bodies. "Get up! And fight me with everything you got, dobe!"

Naruto closed his eyes and refused to open them. Seeing this, Sasuke fumed in rage. He dragged the blond to his feet by pulling on his sweater. "Open them you orphan bastard!"

"Look who's talking!" Naruto reeled his head back and his forehead clashed against the Uchiha's face. He felt a certain satisfaction when he felt drips of warm blood drizzle over his cheeks. Still, he refused to open his eyes.

Sasuke had blood running down the bridge of his nose, but he did not let go of Naruto's sweater. Instead, Sasuke cocked his arm back and punched the blond over his cheek bone. "OPEN THEM!" Again and again, Sasuke struck the blond who refused to open his precious eyes. Blood smeared his knuckles, yet the blond still kept his eyes closed. He panted and reeled his fist back one last time. "I was wrong about you..."

The left side of Naruto's face was partially swollen, but his eyes refused to open. "That all... you got?!"

"Ngh!" Sasuke visibly grit his teeth. "You're worthless!"

The Uchiha's fist met Naruto's cheek with enough force to send him flying to Sakura and Hinata's feet. Both girls stared in horror at the still form of the young Uzumaki.

"Naruto-kun!"

"Naruto!"

Both girls rounded one of Naruto's arms around them to help the blond to his feet. "Naruto-kun, are you alright?" Hinata asked, feeling quite foolish for asking such a dumb question.

"Hinata, Sakura-chan..." Naruto muttered, his tone barely carrying life. "Tell me..." He grinned haphazardly. "Is the sun and everyone else behind us?"

"Eh...?" Sakura groused confused. Both she and Hinata glanced over their shoulder to confirm Naruto's question. The morning sun was definitely still rising from the east, while everyone stood frightened behind them, including Ino and the rest of their class. "Yeah, what of it?"

Naruto grinned very devilishly. He removed himself from Hinata and Sakura. His eyes came to the open and Sasuke took an instinctive step back. Without the sun meeting his eyes full force, he could handle that much if only for a while. "Alright, Sasuke. You wanna play rough? Let's play."

Sasuke dropped to his favorite stance. Knees apart and partially opened hands in front of his face. '_Why are my hands shaking...? My Sharingan is... warning me of his eyes? What the hell is this?!_' Sasuke glanced at the people behind Naruto, the overwhelming rays of the sun in the eastern sky.

His mind made a mind boggling connection. '_The position of the sun, the crowd behind him... Was he waiting for me to punch him toward the perfect position__?! No way, the dobe I know is not that smart! It must be some coincidence!_'

"No, Sasuke." Sasuke's blood red eyes met Naruto's pure, luminous ones. "It wasn't a coincidence. It's exactly what I wanted." Everyone behind him stared at the back of his head in bewilderment. "You are excruciatingly predictable, Uchiha." Naruto was instantly in front of Sasuke. His right fist was reeled back, as was his left leg to aid his maneuverability. "That'll get you killed someday..."

Sasuke gawked at the audacity of those last whispered words. But more importantly, at the speed the blond had used. '_No...! It's not his speed, my Sharingan isn't tracking or predicting the idiot's movements! Why?! Is it his eyes?!_' Naruto's fist struck his left cheek, causing blood to spurt out of his mouth. The tip of his sandals slid across the dirt while his body retained its balance.

"He hit Sasuke..."

"How is that possible?! I've never seen him get hurt before!"

"Blood is seeping down his lips...!"

"What's wrong, Sasuke?!" Naruto questioned with a smile that did well to taunt the spiteful Uchiha. "Have you never been hit in the face before?!"

Sasuke stood with a glare worthy of an Uchiha. He dashed forward while using his wrist to wipe away the blood over his lips. He reached Naruto, and his fist went to claim the blond's stupid face.

Naruto's hand caught the fist in its grasp. He twisted Sasuke's wrist to the side and his remaining hand met the Uchiha's face twice. Naruto pulled Sasuke's wrist and kneed him in the stomach, forcing the prodigy to double over. Naruto's hand grasped Sasuke's hair and forced it to meet his knee halfway down.

Sasuke's dazed Sharingan locked with Naruto's tired eyes— both had had enough. But Naruto wasn't finished. The blond jumped and delivered a precise overhead kick to the Uchiha's face. Naruto landed on his toes, his left hand on the ground to prevent him from falling forward. Sasuke, however, fell flat on his back, still conscious but only relatively.

After a few seconds both stood back up. Sasuke's Sharingan met the Furyan eyes in anger, but still, his trembled in unease to be in the presence of its predator.

Both ran for the other with what remained of their strength. Naruto cocked his fist back, Sasuke did the same. Both met in the middle with the other's fist striking each other's cheek. Their powerful Dojutsus glowered into the other, their fists not leaving the other's cheek, the connections causing their faces to look mushed because of it.

They pulled back disorientated. Unsatisfied, both bent their backs to allow their heads some distance from each other's. With the added inertia, their foreheads met in the middle, a sort of cracking sound following. Their heads rebounded back and both took a gasp of air as their Dojutsus stared toward the sky. A second later, Sasuke fell face first on the dirt while Naruto fell on all fours.

"I really hate your guts, Uchiha-teme..."

"Right back at you, Uzumaki... No..." Sasuke mumbled, his breath scarce. "Tell me, what _are_ you really?"

With the greatest amount of pride and passion, Naruto answered. "I'm _Furyan_..."

"NARUTO! SASUKE!" Both heard Iruka scream in the distance.

"Furyan...?" Sasuke tasted the name, his Sharingan spinning until they turned onyx. "Never heard of them... But I'm thankful... for their existence... With you, I can grow... stronger..." Sasuke fell into a deep slumber.

Naruto fell face first to the floor right next to Sasuke. He closed his eyes and feigned unconsciousness. "And with your death, my people will be avenged..."

"Naruto-kun."

The Furyan gulped.

With her Byakugan activated, Hinata kneeled down next to Naruto with his goggles dangling between her fingers. "Your eyes... I can see them... Why are they glowing...?"

Naruto's eyes widened. He couldn't see the girl, she wasn't in front him, but he could still catch the curiosity she carried. '_Shit...!_'


	4. Chapter 4

**_Furyan_  
**

* * *

'_Shit_...!' Naruto placed a hand on the dirt, then the other. Imitating a push-up, he lifted himself up groaning by the pain trifling his body. He came to a kneeling position while his hands remaimed planted on the floor to retain his balance.

Suddenly, he turned toward the girl glaring. The girl flinched and fell on her butt. His Furyan eyes were relentless to show his displeasure. "Give... me... _my_... goggles..."

Hinata felt her entire body tremble. The furrow of his brow, the intensity of the glare, it all pointed toward an animal. She felt like a bunny. A bunny trapped in a small cage with a bloodthirsty lion. Incapable of looking anywhere else, she stared into his eyes. They were luminescent, terrifying, but above all, beautiful. Shakily, her left hand offered the goggles.

Naruto took them and adjusted the protection around his head. One foot at a time, he stood back up and offered the Hyūga girl his hand. He smirked when she flinched back. "I'm not gunna hurt you, Hinata. Thanks to you and Sakura-chan, I won. Take my hand."

Hesitantly, the smaller girl took his hand and used him to stand back up. The redness in her cheeks increased as she stared at their jointed hands. '_They're still trembling from adrenaline_...'

"Are my hands still shaking?"

"Eh...?" She muttered, breaking out of her delusion. "Ah, hai."

"It was my first real fight where I was pushed." He grinned, giving her smaller hand a squeeze. "Can't blame me if I was scared, right?"

The blond released her hand and she felt it awfully cold. Seeking warmth, she pressed them against her chest. She bit her bottom lip in hesitance. She knew she was prying, but her curiosity was profound. "Naruto-kun... Why were your eyes glowing...?" She felt the atmosphere around them turn stiff. Fearful, she lifted her gaze to come around his solemn face.

"You really are persistent. Aren't you, _Hyūga_?" Naruto's voice was cold like the first breeze of winter. His eyes were just as, but the goggles hid them for his reasons. "What, can't bear to see an orphan with a Dojutsu more powerful than your own?" He tsked and transferred his anger for Uchihas to the Hyūgas. "You're just like the teme. You just _have_ to test yourself against someone to make sure he isn't more powerful than you, right? I should've known... You may look like the sweet little girl that wouldn't harm a fly, but you're still a Hyūga, after all."

"No! Of course not! I'm nothing like my fami-!"

"NARUTO!" Iruka and Mizuki quickly came to check on them. "Are you ok?!"

"I'm fine." Naruto muttered. Still feeling bitter, he gestured toward Sasuke. "I'm not the one laying on the floor with blood leaking out his mouth and head." His wrist wiped away the blood seeping down his lips. "This is all I got. I'll be healed in a day or two; I'm a fast healer. Get the Uchiha to a medic, he'll need it. Not like anyone would willingly heal me anyway..." He walked away, a small limp on his right leg.

"Ok..." Iruka uttered. He looked at Hinata and noticed the girl's sagged shoulders. "Hinata, what's wrong?"

Hinata lifted her gaze and saw that Naruto had stopped on his walk. She sighed and dug her hands deeper into her chest. She could figure that Naruto's anger came from finding out about his Dojutsu. But since she was a Hyūga, he probably misjudged her to be like the rest of her family. Certainly, they wouldn't approve of another Dojutsu in Konoha. But she was not like them... She wished he had known her better to understand that...

"Nothing, Iurka-sensei." Hinata answered. She stared at his back and clutched her hands. She never approached him before out of fear, but now that they shared a common secret, she would make the effort to make him see how wrong he was.

Satisfied and somewhat surprised by her answer, Naruto continued on his way. She was a Hyūga, of course she would keep the knowledge of another Dojutsu in Konoha. That's fine, it's better like this. "Uchihas and Hyūgas, they're all the same..."

"Naruto."

The blond eyed the crowd before him. "What's up, Sakura-chan?" He gave the pinket a modest smile.

"Um, is Sasuke-kun ok?" She asked meekly.

Anger flared in Naruto, growing from its ember to a large inferno. Nonetheless, his smile didn't falter. In fact, it grew to a grin. "Oh, don't worry about _Sasuke_ girls! He's alive. I punched him in the face sixteen times, kneed him once and kicked him twice, but it's all good! At the most, you won't see him for three days— he'll be resting." Finished with his report, he proceeded to walk through the crowd, careful to shove Sakura away with his left shoulder.

"Are you- ow...!"

Sakura was stopped from stumbling back by a frowning Ino. "Hey! Watch it, idiot!" Ino hissed.

Sakura's green eyes filled with tears. But the pain had nothing to do with it. "I was... worried about you, too..." Nobody liked seeing people get hurt, Sakura especially. No matter who that person was.

'_Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke! Always SASUKE!_' How ludicrous. How unfair. But whatever, he didn't care, let him be placed in a pedestal— it would make his fall all the sweeter. Suddenly, his eyes widened. A pulse went through his body and he clutched at where his heart hinted life. He fell to a single knee in the middle of the crowd of kids.

"Oi, Naruto! Are you alright?!"

"Sasuke hurt him after all!"

"Give him some air!"

"I'm fine...!" He forced himself to stand. His rage allowed him such a feat. But out of his body, a blue sort of steam oozed out, making all those around feel lightheaded and weak. '_What's this_...?' The blond could feel his body on fire, but it didn't hurt. Only the sizzling was there not much else. Just as fast as it came the sensation was gone. He steadied his breathing and began to walk away, the people parting. '_What the hell was that_?'

* * *

_**+After School+**_

Naruto walked through the halls of the school. His face was bruised and patched, but most noticeable of all were the bandages around his fists. Obviously, his knuckles were injured.

His eyes wandered around through the hall. Teachers, students, parents, he was on everyone's mouth. Guys spoke in hushed whispers and the girls cupped each other's ears, giggling as they glanced at him. Apparently, he was all over the place now that he kicked Sasuke's ass. Attention, that's what he was receiving. He shoved his bandaged hands away and drew himself in.

How the _hell_ did Sasuke deal with this...?

"A-ano!"

Naruto stopped just before the gates where Kakashi left him. He stared at the girl before him through his goggles. She had a small face, dark hair, styled into a ponytail and big, fearful green eyes. Aside from that, she was forgetful. "What...?" The blond muttered obviously uncomfortable. He was still bitter about Sakura.

"Um, I-" Her fiddling fingers pronounced her shyness twofold. Glancing at his face, she blushed. Finally, swallowing down the fear of rejection the girl stared at him firmly. "I think what you did to Sasuke-kun was amazing!"

Naruto deadpanned. "Say what...?" Well, it would be an understatement if he said _that's_ what he was expecting.

"Your fight with him!" She exclaimed, mistaking his figurative question for a literal one, and obviously enthusiastic about it. "Nobody on campus can stand up to him, not even most of our senpais... So, when I heard that someone from the same grade actually beat him directly, I wanted to meet you."

Naruto played with his feet awkwardly. Was this really happening right now? He glanced about and only just noticed the scarcity of adults or other kids. Hell, the entire village seemed too quiet. "Ok... What's your point?"

"I-" She hesitated once more, keeping her composure as still as her mentality would allow. "I like you-!"

"Lies." Naruto was quick to answer. The girl froze almost literally. "Today, I kicked the ass of your precious Uchiha, so I'm suddenly receiving all this attention. I get that. But come, _ooon_..." He grinned almost madly. "Usually, I'd be ecstatic about what you just did. But I had a _really_ shitty day and your fake affection for me repulses me to such an extent, that I just can't let you off easily." He walked past the stunned girl, still smiling. "I appreciate your intention, I really do. But you just caught me in a bad time. Goodbye."

The little remorse he felt when the girl took off running crying hysterically was abolished by Kakashi leaning against the same pillar he promised. "Tou-chan!"

Kakashi waved a peace sign around smiling. "Yo, Naruto. Quite a day you've had, so I've heard. So, I assume this is the first time you've been confessed to, how's it feel?"

"Tch," Naruto scoffed. "You can't really call that a confession, Tou-chan. She just had a momentary crush of amazement. Not everyone can kick an Uchiha's ass, you know," He puffed out his chest at the phrase.

Kakashi chuckled. "True, true. Which is why," the Copy Ninja smirked. "You better get used to it. I got them on a daily basis in my Academy days. But..." Kakashi rubbed his chin in thought. "I don't even know how that's possible... Some of them probably confessed to me twice."

"You're joking..." Naruto muttered, his dismay almost visible through the goggles. "Please, tell me you're joking."

Kakashi's eyes smiled at him contently and somehow, snarkily. "I wish I was, Naruto-kun." He opened his Sharingan eye for effect. "Welcome to the hell of prodigies. Welcome to the hell governed by... _fangirls_..."

A chill clawed down Naruto's back.

* * *

_**+Kakashi's Apartment+**_

"WOAH!" Naruto shouted, at the brink of jumping in excitement. "Th-this is!" He stared at the inside of his room. His bed had been changed for one twice its size, a closet with unique, demon fox carvings in battle rested at one side of the room, filled with copies of his clothes, and a work desk with a small lamp stood in front of the only window in the room. In one pull of his right hand, he removed his goggles. "Is this really my room?!"

"Yeeep!" Kakashi cheerfully told the blond. He leaned against door and smiled wistfully how the child appreciated such basic objects. Then he noticed his eyes weren't affected by the light as they did in the morning. "Aren't your eyes hurting, Naruto?"

"Hm?" Naruto sat on his bed and appreciated the softness. "A lot, but they don't _burn_ anymore like before. They still kinda hate the light, though." With one last glimpse of the surroundings, he closed them and placed his goggles back on. Ah, he always felt an odd sense of freshness every time he used them. "I haven't really tried them in the darkness. Well, at least not consciously. Can we go out and try them some day, Tou-chan?"

"Sure, I don't see why not." Kakashi merrily piped out. "Care for something to eat? I made some po-"

"No offense, Tou-chan." Naruto interrupted, his left eyebrow twitching in wariness. "But you can't cook for _squat_. Why don't we go out and get something instead? I found this awesome place where they actually wanted to serve me! More importantly though, they serve _great_ ramen!"

At his words, Kakashi was immediately in a corner struck by a dark wave of depression. "I see... So my cooking is not up to your standards, huh...?"

Naruto stood behind the man who pathetically rocked himself in a fetal position. He clapped his hands in prey and bowed. "Kami help you, Tou-chan. You must be the first Sharingan wielder that can't cook..."

* * *

_**+Three Days Later, Next Morning+**_

"Well, shit. I am seriously late, huh...?" Naruto mouthed his supposed worry with barely any substance, the school visible at the end of the road. Wasn't his fault. Kakashi had _ordered_ him to stay in bed for those three days, and well, he couldn't do anything about that. Plus, the older man was still annoyed he hadn't told him how he knew he was Furyan. He really should get around to doing that.

Everyone was probably in recess right now, he didn't know why he bothered to go in the first place. He sighed, he really should've just stayed in bed one last day. His body was still partially sore, which was odd, considering he was a fast healer. At least most of his bandages had been removed.

"Dobe."

Naruto stopped, turned back and smirked. "Good morning, Sasuke. Nice face ya got there."

"Hn." The Uchiha dismissed uncaring. His face was more patched up than the blond's idiot one. But, unlike him, he made the bandages look _good_.

They began walking alongside the other in an oddly comfortable silence. Naruto turned to him with his arms behind his head. "What's wrong, teme? I don't feel the same amount of sulkiness that I usually feel around you. Did you take a good one in the bathroom or something?"

Sasuke's face contorted to show his disgust for the blond's words. "Really? You just had to ruin my good mood by saying something so... uncivilized? _Really_?"

"_Holy shit_! _You_, in a good mood?! Such a thing exists?!"

Sasuke glared. "Keep talking. I didn't use Jutsu yesterday because I didn't want to kill you— at least not quickly. But now, I don't mind frying you until nothing but your goggles remain."

Naruto grinned at him. "Jokes on you! My goggles aren't fireproof! Haha!"

Sasuke resisted the urge to facepalm. Such actions were unworthy of an Uchiha. "You're an idiot."

Naruto stuck his tongue out. "And _you're_ a teme with a metal bat up his ass!"

Sasuke sighed feeling awfully sorry for himself. "I can't believe I acknowledged _you_ as a worthy rival."

Naruto mirrored Sasuke's act perfectly, even his voice morphed into a rich imitation of Sasuke's. "And I can't believe I'm still alive with a metal bat up my ass."

Sasuke grit his teeth in annoyance. "Stop copying me!"

Naruto grit his own teeth. "Stop copying me!"

"That's it!" Sasuke broke into his stance, knees apart, slightly opened hands forward. "I'ma kick your ass!"

Naruto once more mirrored his expression, even his stance. "That's impossible! I can't beat Naruto-sama with a bat up my ass!" Sasuke swung at him and Naruto dipped under his arm, jumping over the fence covering the Academy's playground where children were playing. "Haha! Sasuke-_kun_ can't take a joke!"

Following, Sasuke jumped over the Academy's metal fence and landed on a whining Naruto's back. He pulled on his sun kissed hair while his other hand pulled on the blond's face. "Take it back! Or I swear I'll crisp your clothes off in front of everyone!"

"Fug yu Uhiha! Yu damn voyeur!" Naruto squirmed but was incapable of freeing himself, his wording barely tangible thanks to Sasuke's finger pulling on his mouth.

Everyone in the playground stared at the two in a mixture of amusement and confusion. Uchiha Sasuke was on top of Uzumaki Naruto's back, threatening to _strip_ him from his clothes using fire...

"KYAAAAAH!"

The fangirls screamed in glee.

"Let him go!"

Sasuke saw but a small blue blur. Then he found himself flying in the air until the school's fence stopped him from going any further. His Sharingan instinctively came to be, completely taken by surprise. They widened seeing a girl standing defensively over Naruto. '_I was pushed back... by a girl?!_'

A cute girl at that, he would admit. She had dark, shining black hair, styled into two pigtails. Her skin was fair, almost as fair as the Hyūga girl in their class. And he wore a baby blue kimono that ended at her knees which aided in pronouncing the blues of her eyes. "Who the hell are you?!" Sasuke demanded.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sasuke's Sharingan caught Ino and their class at one side of the playground. Ino held back a blush. She felt like she could drown in those red oceans of power. "Sh-she's a new student that joined our class three days ago. Already, she's in the top four in Taijutsu almost beating _Hinata_! Right, Hinata?!"

Said girl nodded absentmindedly. She was too concentrated in Naruto, who had yet to get up. She had never gone three days without seeing Naruto, seeing him again made her feel _incredibly_ at ease.

"My name is Takahashi Miyuki." She declared, her voice strong but obscenely soft just as.

Naruto, who had gotten quite comfortable on the floor, stared at the girl's slippers. '_Geta's, those are some old fashioned footwear... Considering she's a future Kunoichi, they probably aren't very convenient._' His eyes wandered up to her face and he whistled. '_She's a cutie._' Suddenly, the girl offered Naruto her hand. He stared back up at her. "Oh, thank you." He stood back up dusting himself clean. Stupid Sasuke. Another dirtied sweater. Dad would not be pleased.

She dragged his hand until their bodies pressed against each other. "Oi, what are you-?!"

She rounded her arms around his neck and came even closer. Her scent was that of cherries in summer. She smiled, a hint of pink on her cheeks. "Master Naruto, just like you..." She spoke in his ear barely above a whisper. Her breath caressed his skin, summoning bumps in the surface. "I'm Furyan too..."

* * *

_**A/N: If you want a pic of the eight year old Miyuki, there's a link in my profile. Cheers!**_


	5. Chapter 5

**_Furyan_  
**

* * *

Oh man. Naruto had been surprised before— when the girl pushed Sasuke away like unwanted gravel. But as she whispered into his ear, tickling the delicate skin with her giggling, he was more or less struck speechless. "You're... Furyan?"

Miyuki whizzed by his neck, burrowing herself into it. She and Naruto alike ignored the eyes of jealousy coming from the guys around them. "I am. However," she took a shuddered breath when glimpsing into his goggles. "I'm not an Alpha Furyan like you." She purred, creeping deep into his neck. "I'm not as strong or as fast, and neither do I have those _wonderful_ eyes. But I can surely hold my own..."

"Hey!"

Miyuki glanced over Naruto's shoulder, her eyes slim in annoyance. She scoffed, fangirls. Fangirls everywhere. "What?"

"Get off of him!" The girls hissed, a particular green eyed girl in front.

"Or what?" She taunted, giving Naruto's neck a squeeze. "Unlike you, Master Naruto hasn't pushed me away yet. What does that tell you?"

"Enough." Naruto crowed, a certain edge to his voice. "Answer me this..." He hushed down, "do you know, _her_..."

Miyuki retracted her head back and smiled, her head tilted. "You mean Shirah?" She asked bubbly, her voice falling to a whisper right after. "I know her, we Furyan's all know her... Well, whatever are left of us that is."

Naruto eyed her suspiciously. "What is your intention with what you're doing? Let me warn you, I have no intention of getting together with a girl any time soon. That includes you."

Miyuki grinned. "Well, lucky for you I'm not just any girl." She leaned closer, until their noses were _literally_ touching. "I'm _your_ girl."

"WHAT?!" The surrounding boys screeched. Apparently, they heard her. "WHY NARUTO?!"

Naruto nodded, his face passive. "Yeah, why me?"

"Why not?" She retorted settling herself in the crook of his neck once more. "We Furyans need to stick together. You're an Alpha, I know."

He could hear when she bit down on her lips. Was this chick really eight?

"You probably don't know this but, we normal Furyans used to be the mistresses of the Alpha Furyans. Blood is thick amongst the Alpha Furyans, but we were barely cousins to them. If you're worried about interracial blood mutating, don't be. We've been doing it for decades..."

Naruto turned, his smirk daring her to press on. "I see, but I care little for our old traditions. I only have a goal, anything else would only hinder me from accomplishing it. You're Furyan, that's cool— I can offer you my aid but not much else. You can try, but I'm unable to give you what you want."

Miyuki smirked, "Is that a challenge?"

Naruto grinned, "Whatever floats your boat, Miyuki-_chan_."

She squealed and caressed his neck with her cheek like a small kitten would to her master. "I love the sound of that! You're everything Shirah said you were..." She gushed.

Naruto puffed out his cheeks in meager discomfort. "Stop rubbing against me. You're gunna get me in trouble."

She scowled. "With who?"

Naruto waved his arm suggestively, "Every dude and girl in school. I happen to like breathing, and with you so close, I doubt they'll let me continue doing so."

Pouting, Miyuki removed herself from him. "Shirah said you were probably having a hard time in school... " Her pout increased in horsepower. "Not that you were overly popular with these... little girls."

The left side of Naruto's lips went up in mirth. "You do know you're a little girl too, right?"

She narrowed her eyes at him and they flashed dangerously. Naruto's interest peaked. "I am _not_ a little girl!" She whined, dragging the last syllable and flapping her arms like a small bird. "I may be eight, but that does _not_ classify me as a little, defenseless girl!"

Naruto hummed, his posture pensive. "Funny, I never said anything about being defenseless. You must be one of those little girls that refuse to admit their weaknesses. Hah! How cliche of you, Miyuki-chan."

"Oi." Sasuke piped up marching up to them. His Sharingan inspected the girl up and down— he was not impressed. "Hn, unlike yours her body is nothing special, Naruto. Is she really the same as you?" Naruto turned to him sharply. "I read her lips, chill." He calmed, his Sharingan spinning away.

Miyuki seemed offended by the claim. "Well, you're nothing special either, Uchiha." She smirked, her wandering eyes somehow classifying his sex preference. "But I understand. By the way you dress, I'm guessing you're one of those homosexual, emo types, right?" She laughed triumphantly at his super glare.

Naruto squelched the need to laugh hysterically.

Sasuke's Sharingan spun back into life. "_Bitch_, I dare you to say that again."

Miyuki hid behind Naruto and popped her head out of his shoulder. "I don't like dogs. I'm more of a cat person. Nyaaa~!" She pawed at him for further giggles.

"Yo," a cocky voice piped up. Kiba, Shikamaru, Choji and Shino approached them. Kiba eyed the girl behind Naruto wagging his eyebrows. "Hey there, pretty lady. I know we started on the wrong foot three days ago, but let me reintroduce myself."

"Kiba," Shikamaru muttered in an obscenely lazy manner. "Didn't you hear the girl? She said she didn't like dogs, man. Back off, it'd be awkward, not to mention troublesome if she redid the same action she did to you back then."

Naruto curiously glanced at the Inuzuka. "What'd you try to do to her?"

"Kiba tried to smell her." Shino gingerly informed.

Choji munched on some more chips before speaking. "Not to mention he was practically rubbing against her."

Naruto liked where this was going, his growing grin professed as such. "_Aaaand_? What did she do?"

"I decked him hard." Miyuki said smiling, her eyes closed in confidence to her claim. "Like, hard. Really, _really_ hard."

Naruto raised a blond eyebrow at this. He stared at Kiba's face searching for any lurking injury that might've left a mark. He found nothing. "But... there's nothing on his face." He murmured, glancing at the girl suspiciously.

Miyuki grinned, her eyes twinkling in glee. "Nobody said I decked him in the face..."

All males subconsciously crossed their legs.

* * *

_**+After School, Training Ground Three+**_

"I find this pointless." Naruto pointed it out. Miyuki stood before him, her eyes bright with mirth. For some reason, she had dragged him, Sasuke and Hinata and blatantly refused to say anything else. Now she stood a fair distance away while Sasuke and Hinata were next to the wooden stumps observing. She wanted to _spar_. "If you couldn't beat Hinata, you have no chance of beating me. No offense, Hinata."

Hinata's head fell.

"Don't you dare." Sasuke snapped at the girl, his voice mellow but edgy.

Hinata turned to him in complete bewilderment.

"You're a Hyūga— a noble. I won't stand for someone who I consider an equal to feel down for some ludicrous infatuation directed toward a blond I came to respect after a near death confrontation. I had no need with you, quit berating yourself like that," he turned eyes thinning. "It's pathetic."

Hinata, feeling her eyes dawned with new light, nodded toward the Uchiha in thanks. He was right. One thing her family had taught her through their cruel regime was to convert grief into confidence. She could spare the latter.

"I know I can't." Miyuki said oddly confident with a hand on her hip. "Which is why I won't be the only one fighting you. Hinata-chan," she gestured for the girl to near. "Come hither! Help me kick Master Naruto's pompous butt."

Naruto sneered. Expecting a stumbling mess from the Hyūga, he turned to her. He was thoroughly disappointed. Her face was full of unyielding determination. He gulped, '_Who the hell is this..._?'

Hinata began walking toward them, a powerful glare aimed through him, but not at him. She wasn't looking at him as Naruto at the moment, she was looking at him as a challenge. That caught Naruto's attention.

"Hai," she muttered. "But first, Takahashi-san. Answer me this, why do you call him Master Naruto?"

Miyuki gave Hinata a look that dignified her incredulity well. Where did this sudden burst of confidence come from? "You've seen his eyes, right?"

Hinata nodded, her mind objecting her not to think much about it. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Naruto removed his goggles and revealed his Furyan Dojutsu slowly, his eyes flaming toward the female Furyan. "Watch your mouth, Miyuki-chan. She's a Hyūga, has _she_ not told you about our more than turbulent past?"

Miyuki rolled her eyes while making chipmunk cheeks. "Shirah's told me, Master Naruto. In fact, I know more than _you_ do. But that doesn't mean you should be so prejudicial toward someone you know nothing about." She stared into his clear eyes for a moment. She kicked herself mentally for feeling like putty in his hands. "Sheesh, they're more beautiful than I predicted..." She grumbled to herself.

Naruto shook his head renouncing her claim. "I'm not prejudice— I'm being careful. There's a huge difference. Besides, the Hyūga have a reputation I can't simply refute because I don't know her,"

"And we're back to square one!" Miyuki announced scandalously. She sighed, her eyes staring at Naruto like he was some injured kitty. The blond scowled at this. "How about Sasuke? You trust him, right?"

Naruto hummed, his hand wounding up rubbing at his chin. "Define, _trust_..."

Sasuke nonchalantly shrugged at that. "I _did_ try to kill him..." He chimed in.

Miyuki absently stared at the heavens in annoyance. She steeled herself in and rubbed her temples in aspiration. "Ok, forget I ever said anything." She took a calming intake of air and smiled at Hinata. "Me and Master Naruto are Furyans. He, however, is an Alpha Furyan; the elite of our clan, unlike me who are the sort of branch members. Not quite as powerful, but by no means weak. Did you catch all that?"

Hinata stared at her incredulously. "Naruto-kun is... an Alpha Furyan?" So Naruto was an elite and she was a branch member that owed him her respect. Hinata felt a certain amount of controversy for their clan's traditions, for they seemed eerily similar to her own.

Naruto stared into Miyuki's eyes, his face resembling an owl by its passiveness. "Do you know how dangerous it is for someone who isn't Furyan to know about my heritage?"

Miyuki took Naruto's accusation in stride. She scoffed, "Please, Master Naruto. If you were really that reveries about the knowledge turning into something so prevalent, you wouldn't have allowed the Uchiha to know-"

"You know nothing about me, Miyuki." Naruto dryly said, keeping the usual suffix away. Specifically, she knew nothing of his ideals. "Don't act like you know me, because at this point, I trust Sasuke more than I trust you."

Said Uchiha snorted at that.

Unperturbed, Naruto continued. "You may be Furyan and I love that I'm not the only one, but please don't misinterpret the relationship I'm offering you. I said this a few hours ago, no?"

Miyuki nodded, her smile dissipating by every word he muttered.

Naruto shrugged. "Good, don't forget it." He said frostily crossing his arms.

Sasuke whistled in stride. That was one hell of a chastise he delivered. '_I underestimated you yet again, dobe_.'

Miyuki plastered a grin on her face and bowed. "Forgive me if I sounded impudent, Master Naruto."

Naruto wasn't fooled by her expression, as wasn't Hinata. He sighed clawing a hand through his blond hair. "Look, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, Miyuki-chan. I just don't want you getting confident with me when you _know_ nothing about me. Don't think I'm anything like the snooty Uchiha over there."

"Piss off."

"I love you too, Sasuke." Naruto grounded out ignoring the Uchiha's foul language.

Miyuki fixated herself and wiped away a stray tear. She smiled and was instantly at Naruto's side, her dainty arms around his waist. "Yay! I understand, Master Naruto!"

Not being used to having a girl constantly enveloping her arms around him, NARUTO patted her head awkwardly. "Ok, get off of me."

"Ño!" She whined, steeling herself further into his chest. "No girls are around you this time! Don't you dare make up some excuse!"

He didn't need one. "I... can't, breathe... girly!"

"You're a man, take it like one!"

Aside from that being a ridiculous demand, not to mentions he's actually an eight year old _boy_, he found her increasing grip impossible to deal with. He averted his eyes toward Hinata, his face morphing into an unhealthy shade of purple. "Help..."

Hinata was breathlessly staring into his eyes. '_They are so alluring_...'

Seeing as Naruto was about to suffer the fatality of an aneurism, Sasuke was considering to help. But nah, who else would keep the log he was leaning against warm while he was gone? He found it more productive to count the clouds in the sky. There were two— neither of them particularly big, really.

"Well this is heart wrenching, un." A calm voice started.

All eyes went for Sasuke's right. Sasuke instantly jumped away while Miyuki, Hinata and Naruto fell to a defensive stance. It was a blond man, he wore a black cloak with red clouds and his left eye was covered by a bang of golden hair, leaving only his right blue eye visible. He was brooding on his seat over the log, supposedly. "So this is where you were, Miyuki-chan. I've been trailing you for three days and you were in Konoha, _really_? How inartistic, un."

Sasuke was the first to voice his suspicion. "Who are you? Your headband dictates you're no Konoha Shinobi." Sasuke fretted, his Sharingan coming forth.

"Name's Deidara." The man named Deidara, apparently, absently replied, his nails being far more interesting than the Uchiha. Seeing residue clay in his nails, he chewed on them. "Tell me, Miyuki-chan," Deidara mumbled, his mouth stuffed with nails. "Why did you suddenly up and leave like that? I thought you wanted to do your Furyan blood justice by training under me, un."

Deidara willed down his surprise seeing Naruto's eyes. Readjusting himself on the log, he grinned, his face crinkling to show his interest. "Those eyes... _Holy art_, you're an _Alpha_ Furyan." A sudden swoosh and he was gone.

Sasuke's Sharingan trailed him, including Naruto's Furyan eyes, but neither of their bodies were nearly fast enough to react.

Naruto's marvelous eyes widened, perturbed by the sudden proximity. Deidara was practically in his face. '_His speed's unbelievable_...'

The corners of Deidara's lips perked as he inspected those magnificent orbs further. "I see, un." The man nodded, satisfied with whatever he was musing. He turned to Miyuki, "So this is why you left. I get it." Suddenly, Deidara's hand surrounded Naruto's smaller neck, rising and taking Naruto along with.

Sasuke felt his stomach wrench at the sudden hostility. "Oi! What the hell are you doing!"

Feeling her throat tighten, Hinata acted on instinct following Sasuke's example.

Sasuke went for an overhead kick aimed for the man's face, but Deidara only scoffed. He caught the child's foot with his remaining hand, swinging him directly for the nearing Hyūga, successfully causing them to roll around in a heap. Deidara laughed, how pathetic. "You know, with you being Itachi's little brother and all, I thought you'd be a _little_ more impressive."

His head in a momentary daze, Sasuke barely caught the man's words.

Miyuki knew better than to attack him. Winning, she scoffed mentally— such a thing was nonexistent. She had seen for herself how this one man had blown up villages on his own. "Deidara-sama! Please, let him go!" She pleaded, her voice cracking by the attempt to fight back a sob.

Deidara grinned, "Nah, maybe I'll take this kid with me, teach 'em a few this. I always wanted a mindless drone of destruction, un."

"No! I won't let you!" She screamed, her breathing turning restless.

Deidara turned to her teasingly. "Miyuki-chan, you've known me long enough to realize I don't take well to pointless screaming. Bye."

"Wait!" She pleaded, hands forward and tears helplessly streaming down her blue eyes.

Deidara hid a smirk.

She lulled her desire to get what she wanted out of sheer will. Since a child, she had learned that getting what you want was nothing but a dream. But this time, she truly had hope.

Fine, again she would sacrifice her happiness. It was clear to her now, life wasn't fair. _Especially_ to Furyans. "I-I will go back with you, Deidara-sama... Please, let Master Naruto go."

"Good choice," Deidara started, voice sullied with evil and merriness. "Let's get out of here then-"

"She isn't going anywhere." Naruto crowed, his voice hissing through the grip on his throat. A blue haze misted around his body, mussing up his hair in it.

Deidara, feeling awfully light in his head, fought down the urge to succumb to some sort of killer intent.

Naruto's hand shot up and choked Deidara's wrist in a surprising vice grip. Not until Deidara felt his muscles ripping did he release the blond, rubbing his wrist to sooth it from the pain. "What the hell... An eight year old can't have this much strength."

Naruto fell on his feet firmly. His Furyan eyes glared upwards, but they weren't the eyes of a child— they were an experienced Shinobi's. They were nothing like before, they didn't even look his anymore. "I'll kill you if you take one more step toward us, Deidara." He bluffed, knowing it wasn't possible with his current condition.

The Missing Nin sneered, eye apathetic but his lips nonetheless pulled. "You make it sound interesting, un. Alright then," he reached for the pouch on his side. "I have time to spare." He sucked his tongue sensing unwanted company. "Or not..." He glanced at Miyuki, who stared at Naruto's figure with awe. "Miyuki-chan," he started, making the girl flinch. "I'll remember this."

He was instantly gone.

Seeing this, Naruto's body ceased releasing the blue aurora. Then he fell on his knees succumbing to a horrendous pain threatening to crack his head open.

* * *

_**+Naruto's Dreamscape+**_

Feeling relaxed and unhurt, Naruto reopened his eyes. Darkness, again. He lifted his goggles and expected Shirah behind him, so he turned. "What...?!" However, this time it wasn't Shirah staring at him.

It was a pair of _very_ familiar eyes. Luminescent eyes...

The man smirked, eyes narrowing in scrutiny. "You're not afraid of the dark, are you...?"


	6. Chapter 6

**_Furyan_  
**

* * *

_**+Naruto's Dreamscape+**_

Naruto acknowledged three things. One, this man, which obviously lacked any hair on his head, was _huge_. Not in a tall sense, hell, not entirely in a wide sense. It was his aura— it was just _monstrous_, like a veteran, war savvy god. There really should be a limit to how much presence one could posses, but this man didn't seem to have one. His craze, borderline _insanity_ of a grin was on a whole other level.

Secondly, his attire. He wore black Shinobi pants, black combat boots, and a black tank top. He went higher and he flinched. The goggles on on his forehead were an exact replica of his.

Thirdly and more importantly, his _eyes_... they were incomparable to the ones he owned. They held such intensity that he couldn't bear to move without fearing the repercussion. He had seen his in the mirror— his were calculative, calm. This man's were powerful. They gave such a breeze of coldness that he wondered if he was even _human_.

"Boy," he literally disappeared from his line of sight. "Behind you..."

The blond turned instantly, only to be met with more darkness. A bead of sweat made its way down the bridge of his nose. He felt a finger on his throat, lined against his jugular vein.

"You're still blind, kid."

His teeth trembling and bare, he turned to him with his eyes filled with shock. "H-how...? I should've been able to keep track of you... Who are you...?"

"Really, keep track of _me_?" The man muttered, a snarky amusement tuning his voice. "Name's Riddick. Murderer. Missing Nin and previous leader of the Alpha Furyans. First Alpha to go rogue and last Alpha to die at the hands of Senju Hashirama." He pursed his lips and shrugged his shoulders. "After I stuck a shiv in both his lungs, of course."

Naruto swallowed, his breathing increasing in speed. "Wh-what's a shiv?"

Riddick raised a dark eyebrow in response. "Are you really Furyan?"

Shamefully, Naruto pouted. "Are my eyes not enough proof for you?"

Riddick actually frowned in response. Naruto shrunk at the change in atmosphere. "It takes more than just having the eyes of my clan to be considered a Furyan, blondy. Not to mention an Alpha Furyan." He removed his finger from under the blond's neck. "If I'm here, it means you have some kind of connection to me. That's interesting. But don't get too comfortable, I've killed family before— plenty of times. I wonder if I can do the same to you..."

Naruto turned to him mingling with the odds of landing a successful punch on the man's face. They weren't good. "You killed your _own_ family?! What the hell is wrong with you...?!" He blurted out upset.

Riddick furrowed his nose in annoyance. "From the glimpses I've caught of your memories, your reaction doesn't surprise me. But raise your voice to me again, and I will mold your dreams into tortures nightmares from my past."

Naruto took a single step back, startled.

"I grew up sharpening my knives using the bones of my enemies, kid. You're _eight_," he deadpanned. "You know nothing of life, especially that of an Alpha Furyan heir. By the time I was your age, I had killed two of my sisters, one of which had stabbed me through the heart when I was six."

Naruto gave him the stink eye. "That's bull, nobody could survive a wound through the heart."

"True," Riddick agreed. "She might've been doing the stabbing, but I was deciding where through."

Realization shone upon Naruto. "That's... reasonable?"

"Reasonable? Kid, you know nothing of our abilities," Riddick declared, luminous eyes accusing. "That female Hyūga, Hinata, was incapable of seeing your eyes because they were in the shadow of your goggles. If trained diligently, in the shadows or in the darkness, the Byakugan will not be able to pick up your location. Of course, this all comes down to your degree of skill.

"That Uchiha, he was incapable of predicting your movements because your Furyan blood naturally gives a scentless, undetectable neurotoxin that blurs the Sharingan's cortex in a two hundred meter radius. This also helps keep Byakugan users from seeing your tenketsus. Let me warn you, however, just like with the Byakugan, you need experience to keep yourself from falling into a Sharingan Genjutsu. This is all basic knowledge. As a natural predator of the Uchiha, _and_ the Hyūga, how is it that you don't know this?"

Naruto mussed up his hair in grievance. "You can't blame me for not knowing anything! It hasn't been a week since I found out I was Furyan! I don't even know where we came from!"

Riddick somehow summoned a small boulder to sit on.

'_How the hell did he do that?!_'

The man mused his next words carefully, his eyes narrowing. "Our origins, huh...? Let's just say we sourced from a not so, _neutral_ environment. For centuries, we were prey to the Uchiha _and_ the Hyūga. Back in the day, the earth was split in territories according to clans. We Furyans were surrounded by the territory of the Uchihas and the Hyūgas for centuries, and even then we remained mostly underground. Our environment turned us into what we are, hunters."

Naruto felt that was hard to swallow considering the mechanics of his knowledge. "Are you saying it was, _evolution_?"

"Don't be ridiculous." Riddick berated, twisting his neck to savor a few pops. He never liked talking too much— it made his neck stiff. "Evolution takes hundreds of thousands of years to change a single thing. What we experienced were point mutations in response to our environment, accelerated by our specialized chakra forcing our bodies to adapt. We, the Alphas, are the remains of the first line of Furyans who mutated."

Naruto owlishly stared at the man in complete confusion. "I still don't get it. How do you find out if you're Furyan or Alpha Furyan?"

Riddick merely stared back, unnerving Naruto. Finally, he started with a shake of his head. He really lacked the patience to be an instructor. "Follow the family tree, _dipshit_. It takes an Alpha ancestor, no matter how ancient, to bear an Alpha Furyan. Your mother or father was an Alpha Furyan, but there's no way to tell. However, even if both mother and father are Alpha, it doesn't necessarily mean an Alpha Furyan will be born. Which is why the branch members, our _supposed_ cousins, outnumbered us ten to one,"

"That sucks," Naruto chirped in, his index finger rummaging through his nose. "No wonder we got our asses handed to us back in the day."

The man nodded in agreement. "Quite the lack of decency you have. At least that part is Furyan."

Naruto sobered up and grinned, "I'm still eight, can't blame me for that." Remembering a certain term he mentioned, Naruto fell stoic. "You said you were the first Alpha to go rouge... That means-"

"I left Konoha." Riddick confirmed, Furyan eyes reminiscent. "I didn't have a choice. The Furyan clan was becoming... _civilized_." He spat, almost like it was poison to his dignity. "We were losing our edge, our roots. I refused to let the clan fall into nothing but its husk of its former self. Unfortunately, my kind were far too comfortable with destroying foreign nations under the protection of Konoha. Traditionally, that wasn't how we worked. I left the one sister that actually gave a fuck about me in Konoha— the odd ball of the bunch..."

Riddick fell silent for a moment and Naruto tilted his head in bemuse. Sorrowfully, he wondered if she survived that ordeal. "I literally came back knocking down the gates and found the entirety of my people dead. Massacred, by the entirety of the Uchiha and the Senju. Seeing this, I lost it..."

Of course, that was an understatement. He practically went insane with bloodlust. "I didn't have a doubt my sister was in the bunch, dead amongst my kin. I set Konoha ablaze. The night was on my side and I hunted down every Senju before Hashirama got involved. _How_ they covered up that mess, I have no idea..."

Naruto listened with awe and took it all in. "So you did fight against Hashirama Senju, the Shodaime?"

"I ghosted Hashirama Senju," Riddick corrected, his voice not showing any pride whatsoever. "The injuries I got on him were far too deep. He died, I'm sure. We Furyans are surgeons by nature— we know the human body in and out. You could say knowing it was necessary to be acknowledged as an adult by our clan."

"Cool," Naruto muttered. "I kinda figured as much. I feel this dumb, insatiable need for knowing about the human body since my Furyan eyes took their claim over my iris. It's really annoying— I don't like book work." A silence fell upon them as he stared into Riddick's eyes. He shuddered— they felt so empty, deadly. "Say, how is it that my eyes couldn't keep track of you? How can I keep track of a single object in the first place?"

Once more, Riddick found it incredulous by the lack of such basic knowledge. He grunted, it was clear to him now. The entirety of the Furyan clan was indeed gone, probably forever. "Like the Sharingan, our eyes can lock themselves to track any single object— no matter how small. However, unlike the Sharingan that can keep track of countless objects at a time, ours can only keep _one_ in sight."

Naruto nodded understandably. "Ok, but what if I'm fighting various opponents?"

Riddick shrugged. "Then just don't allow your sight to lock on a single object, easy as that. Look, the Furyan eyes belong to a rare group of eyes found in nature called 'video-type eyes.' Unlike the human eyes, which have cone cells, we have rod cells that can catch a single photon of light one _thousand_ times more sensitively than the normal human eye. Unfortunately, this potential is what halts our ability to track any numerous amount of entities at a given time. Understand?"

Bubbles burst around Naruto's head while stars clearly revolved similar to a black hole. "Um, is there any easier way to remember that, or...?"

Riddick's expression of detachment didn't falter. He did palm his face in frustration, though. "Your eyes can see in the dark, track any object, but only one at a time— if you decide to track at all. By this time, they would've evolved to track the same amount as the Sharingan if not for the fact that we went extinct. Hell, it might've transcended into something even greater, who knows..."

"Transcended... the Sharingan..." Naruto muddled, his voice sprinkled with disbelieve. He had no idea his Dojutsu could be that great. For the first time, he started to see just how much potential he wielded. "For years, I was lead to believe I was a nobody and that that's why people just didn't hold any interest regarding me. But now, with these eyes, I have proof that I'm not just somebody..." For a second, Riddick saw how the child's eyes flashed into maturity. "I'm an Alpha Furyan."

'_Hmm_...' Through the colors of purple, red and flashes of white, Riddick observed the blond. '_Even at his young age, I can see his body is perfectly shaped to embrace his Furyan blood... But I can sense something sinister withering within. Some foreign entity inside of him... Worrisome? Not at all. I believe this kid has the potential to surpass even me. Demons, how annoying... but since I have high expectations for the brat, one or two demons shouldn't pose a problem_.'

"Listen to me, Naruto. You've been out for four days-"

"FOUR DAYS?!"

"-That's my fault." Riddick apathetically confessed. "The moment you fell into that _Diedara's_ grasp, a certain Furyan ability threatened to escape _far_ too soon. Such power mustn't surface, or your entire chakra network will collapse, crippling you forever. This time, you gained part of my power because of it, therefore allowing me to balance it. However, your body could only sustain it for ten seconds before slipping into a coma. Do whatever you can to prevent that power from resurfacing again, or you _will_ die."

* * *

_**+Naruto's Hospital Room+**_

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN I'LL DIE?!"

In the room, Sarutobi and Kakashi turned to stare at the suddenly awake Naruto. The little Furyan, his mouth stuck between shouting and confusion, blushed profoundly. "Um... Hi?"

"Naruto!" Kakashi was instantly at his side, his hands on the blond's shoulders. "What happened? Who appeared and attacked your group? Why were you unconscious for so long?! Why were-!"

"Kakashi," Sarutobi interrupted, a small spark in his eyes and a small smile on his lips. "While I'm glad to see your care for Naruto is great, he cannot talk unless you allow him to." Although reluctant, Kakashi removed himself from the blond and stepped to the side. "Now then, Naruto. Tell us, who were you attacked by? And since you're at it, please go ahead and tell us how you know you are Furyan?"

Regrettably, Naruto realized he couldn't keep it to himself anymore. Rubbing at his eyes, he searched about the room for his goggles. Finding the item on a small tray next to him, he took them and slipped them on. "A while ago, I had a dream in which a woman called Shirah appeared telling me about my clan. Though she's only appeared once and I haven't seen her since."

"Shirah..." Sarutobi tasted the name just to see if any old records popped up. "Hmm... It doesn't ring any bells, unfortunately."

"Oh, and the one who attacked us was named Deidara. The moment he saw my eyes, he realized I was an Alpha Furyan."

A fearful silence spread between Kakashi and Sarutobi. Deidara, a renown Missing Nin who had left Iwagakure just one year ago, but already marked as an S-class in the Bingo book. Only a select few in the village could stand up against someone of that calibre, and even fewer that could actually defeat him. The future was looking glim if someone like Deidara was after Naruto.

Kakashi glanced at Naruto, the ANBU mask on his head suddenly feeling heavy, full of burden. It took him but a moment to make up his mind on his next move. His Sharingan came to the open. "Naruto, look at me." The blond turned as asked.

His Sharingan spun thrice.

'_I'm sorry, Naruto. I know you just woke up, but..._' Feeling somewhat of a wall preventing him from putting the child to sleep, Kakashi went a little serious until the child fell back on his bed unconscious. "Sarutobi-sama, I beg of you, not as a leader, but as a father." Kakashi closed his Sharingan eye, his head bowed. "Allow me leisure to take Naruto away from the Leaf at least for four years."

Sarutobi hardened his gaze on the man. With him pulling the father to father card, he knew Kakashi was playing dirty. Still, he understood where he was coming from. "The request you are making is serious, Kakashi. You know this," Kakashi nodded once more. "He is our Jinchūriki, our last member of an extinct clan. The council will not stand for you to take him unless yo-"

"Declare me a Missing Nin, I don't care." The Hokage's eyes widened— Kakashi was undeterred. "Naruto was with me for four years before I allowed him to be taken from me, and he suffered because of it— a mistake I still regret. All I care is for his safety, and here he will receive nothing but power hungry eyes from predators looking for Furyan blood. I took Sasuke's attack by stride, because I know Naruto can handle a playground brawl. But Deidara, an S-class Missing Nin is an _impossibility_ for him to handle, Jinchūriki or not."

"What you speak of is no game, Kakashi!" The elder man crowed, his eyes filled with warning for his audacity. "You are a respected _captain_ in the ANBU black ops— your bounty will be off the charts. Do you believe it is wise to let Naruto grow in such an unpredictable environment? Running, hiding, battles, all of these will be common occurrences in both of your lives!"

"All are basic etiquette to consider yourself an elite Shinobi, Hokage-sama!" Kakashi exclaimed, his body showing the desperation to try and convince the wise leader. "I would rather have him with me surviving against all odds, than to have him be slightly protected while fighting against _S-class_ Missing Nin! I am one of the few who can actually stand up against Shinobi like Deidara— he will not be better protected than with my presence at all times."

"It is still not wise." Sarutobi denied shaking his head. "Homura, Koharu, _Danzo_... they will use all of their influence to retrieve you no matter the cost. With him being a Jinchūriki, it is already illogical, but with him being an Alpha Furyan as well, it is plainly _unthinkable_. If Deidara already knows about him, there is no guarantee other powerful Shinobi don't already know. If I let you do this, I will be sending one _very_ promising Shinobi, and an already accomplished Shinobi to their deaths."

"You will not." Kakashi assured in a very shrill manner. "Here, Konoha _and_ Naruto is at risk. True, powerful Shinobi might know he is here, but away, both he and Konoha will be in safe hands. The environment Naruto will mature in is crucial for his nurturing as a Shinobi, you know this. If I take him, I will be able to concentrate entirely in Naruto's upbringing while giving him the experience he will eventually need."

"It is not enough!" Sarutobi declared, shattering the aura of calmness and control around the elder. "He is but a child, not an ANBU operative! I cannot in good conscience send out an eight year old _boy_ with an ANBU captain to the merciless world of Shinobi knowing the risks they will take."

"You keep forgetting something, Hokage-sama," Kakashi started, his one visible eye narrowing. "Naruto is _not_ a normal eight year old boy. He is the Jinchūriki of the Kyūbi, the strongest of the Bijū. He is a descendant of one of Konoha's most powerful founding clans, the Furyans. With the life he has lived, you are _severely_ insulting his resolve, if you think Naruto _ever_ considered himself normal!"

Sarutobi's head for the first time fell in agreement. He had done it all, everything at his disposition to try and give the boy a normal life, but the fates had already carved his route. Both men turned to the sleeping child, the eldest of the two sighing in regret. "Very well. Once you return, I will do what I can to pardon you from your 'crime'. However, give Naruto-kun a few more days in the Academy, that is all I ask. And please, take care of him, Kakashi... We'll be in touch."

Bowing low and with his arms extended, Kakashi offered the ANBU mask he had so dearly cherished. "Naruto is all I care about, Sarutobi-sama. He changed my world for the better— it is only fair I dedicate my life to help him change the world itself."


	7. Chapter 7

_**Furyan**_

* * *

_**+Kakashi's Apartment+**_

"I refuse!"

"Naruto, you don't have a choice!"

"The hell I don't! I've always known this village hated me, and I've learned to deal with it! But dammit, I'm a fucking human being and I refuse to get ordered around like some dog, then be called back a while later after they have further use for me! What gives them the right to send me away just because they _feel_ like it?! _huh?!_"

"Naruto, get back here-!" Kakashi watched him leave out the door. He dropped back into a kitchen chair and rubbed his face in dismay. He had thought it wise, fair even, to tell him what they would have to do— obscuring a few reasons, of course; leave Konoha for a few years. '_I should've expected him to react like this..._'

As much as Kakashi didn't want to admit it, he knew it wasn't much of lacking the desire to leave the village that made him furious— far from it. It was the Furyan pride of a child prodigy. His existence itself dignified he was more of a beast than human, the blond was aware of this. The orders given to leave and wait for instructions was like sending a rabid dog out of its home because it was risking the sovereignty of said home.

'_I started this, and it's unfair..._' Kakashi brooded. Nonetheless, he stared at the door determined. '_But I am not__ doing this for Konoha, Naruto... Not anymore..._'

Naruto slammed the door behind him. His hold on the knob made the steel clink and whine over the pressure. He had been out of the hospital for two days, _two days!_ And already, the village had apparently decided he couldn't stay because he was compromising its safety.

"The hell with that!" In one swing, he removed his goggles and glared into the darkness of Konoha's undisturbed sleep. He leaned over the railing stopping him from falling six stories high, fuming. '_Who do these bastards think they are? What gives them the right to send me away like I'm some sort of attack dog...?!_'

He could care less about Konoha. Well, that was partially a lie— the Furyan clan needed a proper settlement to return to its former glory, and what better place than its first real home? Still, he was not their damn dog to be ordered and called like some exotic, Furyan pet.

'..._you don't have a choice!..._'

Kakashi, the only person he actually trusted blindly declared those words to him. "Dammit...! Is there really nothing I can do...?"

Startled, he stared at the ground, his eyes informing him of some unknown movement. It was too late for anybody to be around let alone hiding. They narrowed and his vision sharpened over the response.

There.

He raced for the stairs, cursing his inability to somehow walk over walls or something— which was obviously impossible. He reached the bottom and stared at the masonry fence that went almost as high as him. "Who's there?"

He heard rapid footsteps getting farther and farther away. They were hauling ass out of there!

"Stop!"

His demand went unanswered as the small steps merely gained speed. He willed down a curse, jumping and walking over the fence with perfect balance. His eyes caught a flash of long hair turn a corner. He jumped, planning to land in front of the figure. Then he saw her and landed right _on_ her, his face inches from her own.

"Tch," he scoffed, his lustrous eyes staring stoically into a pair of blues as deep as his own once were.

"Please, sir..." Miyuki whimpered back a few tears, obviously fake. "Whatever you're going to do, do it quickly... It's late and I should be home by now...!" She batted her eyebrows seductively to further emphasize her intention.

"Miyuki..." He growled, failing to keep hidden the distaste encrusted in his usually cheerful voice. "What are you doing around these parts this late at night?" He rose and started walking away. "Never mind. I don't care. I'm not in the mood for your games."

"I was worried about you."

That actually stopped him. He found it pathetic how he was considering to find some sort of twisted morale by engaging in Miyuki's supposed admiration for him. "Really now?" He inquired, unavoidably sarcastic. "Then why didn't I get at least a card, let alone a visit from you?"

"ANBU were stationed in front of your door twenty four seven. I watched over them for countless hours the first day in an effort to find some sort of loophole." Miyuki could tell Naruto was tense from the unusually edgy voice. Therefore, she would be careful with her words. "Obviously," she huffed, pouting in dismal. "No such thing existed."

She stood back up and dusted herself clean. "Hinata also tried to gain access, but was denied. Half of our class also went, but the same process was repeated. Even _Sasuke_ went once... Well, that's not entirely true. He went to the front of the hospital, turned around, and went home. But considering the stick in the mud that he is, that's amazing!"

'_Amazing?_' Naruto mentally snorted. '_That's a bigger understatement than saying the bastard has no heart._' He turned back to her and smiled, genuinely. "Miyuki-chan, I find that hard to believe. And unless you have photographic evidence that _the_ Uchiha Sasuke actually considered visiting me; I cannot believe your little mouth."

She grinned, sticking out her tongue and hiding her hands behind her back. "Master Naruto, believe it or not, I knew you were gunna ask me for pics. So," from out of nowhere, she pulled out enough photos to fill a small album. "I have tons of 'em!"

Naruto sweat dropped. "Wow, I was actually kidding but... Ok!" He closed the distance separating them and Naruto placed a hand over her silky, soft hair. "Thank you, Miyuki-chan. You actually made my day a little brighter, less dark. And right now, you have no idea how big of an accomplishment that is."

Miyuki pressed her hands over the one he placed on her head, returning the smile. "I'm glad I can help you in any way, Master Naruto." Her eyes shone almost as brightly as his own out of sheer respect for him. She ignored the swelling of her heart at his touch— she couldn't quite comprehend it completely. She stared into his eyes, and at that moment was when Miyuki realized she would want this feeling of warmth all for herself. This time, she would be selfish in her own right and store these unknown feelings as her own.

Naruto pulled back despite the small whines and pulls from the girl. He scowled with the thought of his next question. "Miyuki-chan, why was Deidara-teme after you?"

Her shoulders visibly slumped at the approach of his question. "Master Naruto, I would prefer not to talk about it..."

Naruto groaned running a hand through his musty, blond hair. "I'm not gunna force you to tell me, Miyuki. But I'm sure you know I didn't tell Jiji about you, or why Deidara was even there. I did it to protect you, and if you can't trust me enough to tell me why that bastard was here, then who _can_ you trust?" He observed her as she merely played with her feet. "Fine, I'll see you later." He turned and started to walk away.

"It is not a matter of trust, Master Naruto."

For the second time that night, Naruto stopped. This time, however, he was considerably more alert. There was just so much voidness and grief in that soft, barely noticeable whisper.

"I won't say anything banal like, I was an orphan and that I never met my family because," Naruto turned, swallowing back the concern that accumulated from seeing Miyuki's tears. But what bothered him above all was that smile that refused to leave her lips. "That would be a lie... I was with them since birth and, I lost them." She wiped away the tears only for more to replace those that had been vanquished. "Heheh, this is so weird...! This is the first time I've actually cried about the occurrence... Ugh, why won't they stop...?"

Naruto could only stare crestfallen. He was completely lost and incapable of comforting the girl— he didn't even know what to say. "Miyuki-chan... I... I'm so sorr-"

"Please don't feel sorry for me, Master Naruto...!" She was quick to interrupt, desperation very clear in her volatile voice. "Hate me, _despise_ me, even... But don't feel sorry for me— not you. Right now, you are the person I trust most in the world... You, someone I just met a few days ago..." Her smile grew even more and Naruto bit back a wince. "What does that tell you about my life...?"

It was nothing but a whisper, yet it rebounded in his mind, piercing through every barrier his mind had against unwanted and uncharted feelings. Then he realized, he didn't want to leave Konoha. Forget the hate of the villagers, forget the Furyan clan and forget his pride of the former. Miyuki... He was literally all she had. If he left unannounced, what would that do to her?

'_It would crush her..._'

"I'll be fine."

His gaze snapped at her instantly. '_Did she...?_'

"That's what I told my mommy before she was murdered by some type of puppet right before my eyes." She continued, gaining some self control, oblivious to Naruto's aura relaxing. "I vowed at that moment, that no weakness would be allowed, no losses would be forgotten, and no mistakes would be forgiven. _That_, is my Nindō."

"You're demanding too much of yourself." Naruto declared lowly, stopping her nonetheless. "You aren't even a Kunoichi yet, Miyuki-chan. Yet already, you're preparing your own _twisted_ Nindō," he shook his head disapprovingly. "I can't let you continue like that."

"You don't understand!"

"I don't need to!" The blond barked, his eyes flashing in anger. "What you're asking of yourself is impossible, baka!" He took her shoulders and stared intently into the glistening sapphires she possessed. "If you make a Nindō, make one that'll drive you in the right direction, not force you into some illusion of a Kunoichi that can't exist! _I_ have weaknesses, _I've_ lost countless times, and _I_ don't know enough _numbers_ to count the amount of mistakes I've made! Errors are part of life!"

"I don't want them!" She crowed, her eyes almost pleading with him to agree. "My mother died because of my mistakes! Because I failed to realize something fundamental...!" She sobbed curling herself up, but Naruto held her in place. "That I was Furyan..."

Naruto's eyes widened.

"My family was being hunted since I was four— Shirah told me... Since then, she had been trying to contact me— to warn me because mom and dad were ignoring _her_. But she can't talk to normal Furyans unless they're fully aware of what they are... And by the time I realized I was Furyan, mum was pinned to the wall with a scythe through her throat..."

She still smiled besides her current condition, but it was constructed out of raw sorrow. "The last words she told me while choking on her own blood was that I was _Furyan_— a member of Konoha's supposedly extinct, founding clans! I had found a purpose, a viable means to exist! And the next thing I knew, I was in Deidara's arms begging him to make me his student... Shirah appeared in my dreams not long after and she told me I wasn't alone— that all was not lost...! She'd said not too far away, an _Alpha_ Furyan had awoken— the last one... Which is why I had to meet you no matter what!"

Now Naruto could understand her excitement for meeting him. She too had suffered by thinking herself alone. A feeling Naruto was all too familiar with. "So you ditched Deidara after, right?"

She nodded once. "He left me alone after he went to some meeting, and I left... But I never thought he'd come for me, let alone all the way to Konoha..."

Her face fell once more and Naruto felt an odd sense of dread clench his stomach.

"The truth is, Master Naruto..." She met his glowing eyes, not appalled by their intensity. "I came with the hope of seeing you one last time because I..." She gnawed on her lower lip. "I am leaving Konoha— for good. If I stay here, you will be in danger, so I thought that-"

"Don't be ridiculous." Naruto interfered, his eyes closing to refute distractions. "You won't be going anywhere. There isn't a safer place for you than Konoha— Deidara will be after me now, not you." She was Furyan, he was an Alpha Furyan. It was his duty to protect her— and he would. _Riddick_ had failed, but he would not. "Miyuki," he started, reopening his eyes. "Promise me something. Promise me you will stay in Konoha even if I suddenly went missing."

"Wha...?!" Clear panic instantly took ahold of her body, Naruto could feel it. Her shoulders were starting to shake. "Wha-what do you mean, Master Naruto?! You will-!"

"Promise me!" He reiterated much more fiercely. "If you don't, I _swear_ I will never speak to you or acknowledge your existence ever again." That was dirty. He was aware of it. The girl before him took a shuddering breath that sprouted fresh tears. "I'm not kidding, Miyuki. I need you to trust me and promise you will not leave Konoha's surroundings if I were to disappear. Understood?"

He wasn't leaving her much of a choice. She gave but a single, trembling nod. "I promise, Master Naruto. I will not leave Konoha if you suddenly disappear."

"Good." He needed power to protect her and his right to exist, unmeasurable and incalculable power. He would make use of the Alpha Furyan blood coursing through his veins and nourish that power. That cannot be accomplished in Konoha's Academy.

"Do not let anyone know we had this conversation, not even Sasuke-teme or Hinata-chan. And do _not_ let your skills falter, Miyuki." With those last words, he turned and paved way for Kakashi's apartment.

* * *

"Tou-chan."

Kakashi heard the door open from his chair and saw Naruto step through it. "Naruto..." He narrowed his one eye at his Furyan Dojutsu. They seemed different somehow.

"If you want me to leave with you willingly, we will leave tonight. No exceptions."

Kakashi was wise enough to know the impossibility of leaving Konoha without Sarutobi's loophole. Their chances weren't good— nonexistent, even. The Hokage would be forced to send ANBU after them to avoid suspicion. But his choices were limited. "Understood. Pack lightly, it might be a long trip."

Naruto nodded once.

Kakashi wouldn't bother with asking his sudden willingness— it mattered little. If he was inspired, Kakashi was more than willing to comply.

* * *

_**+The Land of Fire, North Eastern Border+**_

Kakashi was pissed for various things. One, he was pissed at how well he trained his previous ANBU team. For hours, he ran, nonstop. And they hadn't lit up at all. Two, he was completely drained. Having to carry Naruto, who had passed out six hours after leaving the village, was a true chore. He could swear the brat was gaining weight as he snored on his back. And finally, three. The border of the Land of Fire had refused his demands of meeting him halfway. Lazy bastard.

He landed in a small clearing without further choice, immediately getting surrounded from all sides. The situation was unfavorable. He couldn't hurt them or it would make his pardon after he returned to Konoha all the harder for the Hokage— but that wasn't gunna stop _them_ from hurting him.

"Surrender, Kakashi-senpai." A familiar ANBU with a cat mask ordered, emotionless.

'_Tenzo..._' He couldn't imagine how hard this must be for his good friend. Perhaps he felt confused, enraged and questionable over the orders to bring him back dead or alive. He really was being selfish with what he was doing. "Sorry, guys. But you're gunna have to take me down if you wanna bring me back."

Tenzo could feel his teeth moil well against each other. "Kakashi-senpai, this is unlike you. Please, tell us what you're planning."

"I guess it's too much to ask for you to trust me and let me go, right?" His answer was them unsheathing their tantō from its sheath. Kakashi chuckled, albeit nervously. He was in real trouble— there was no way to go nowhere to hide. "Well, I guess I have no choice but to fight." He shook Naruto and the latter groaned, his eyes fluttering open through the goggles. "Naruto, wake up. I need you to hide and wait for me outside of the clearing."

"Hide...? Wha...?" He muttered, stifling in a yawn. He looked around, his eyes widening in horror. "Holy _crap_...! ANBU! A whole team of them!"

"Not just any ANBU," Kakashi corrected, letting Naruto down from his back. He kneeled and pulled out a single kunai. "They're the best six man ANBU team in Konoha— _my_ team. Go."

Naruto was quick to act on the order.

Sarutobi pulled out all the stops to try and 'recover' them. Although he was proud the man hadn't hesitated and trusted in his abilities, he could've at least sent a team he actually had a chance against. Fighting against them was like fighting against himself.

"Oi, what the hell?! Let me go!"

"Who's kid is this?" An old man came out of the forestry with Naruto hanging from his hand. He was garbed in a fully green, bloated cloak that was left open to portray his chest, with a long, red sash embracing his waist. Though his face was hidden by the cloak's hood, those present could tell the man was elderly by the voice and the toned, but worn muscles ripped over his chest. His single green eye studied them carefully. "What do we have here. Fighting on my land, are we?"

"Sir," Tenzo started, modestly and politely. "This man is a Missing Nin, please stand back. You will not be safe here if you remain."

"Really?" He dropped Naruto on his face and the latter snarled up at him. "Well, I couldn't care less. You see, the way _I_ see it, it's unfair to fight a man six to one. So I'm gunna have to ask you, _politely_, to leave." His left hand went for the insides of his cloak.

The entirety of the ANBU tensed at this. Some of them aimed their blades toward the elder. Only Tenzo remained controlled. "Calm yourselves. He's a senior, _and_ a civilian— he won't harm us-"

"Civillian, huh?" The old man interrupted, halting any further insult to his pride. "Believe it or not, that's the first time I've been called that."

Tenzo's eyes broadened as his Shinobi instincts _screamed_ at him to hit the deck. "EVERYBODY DOWN!"

_*SLICE!*_

Everybody kissed the floor with pleasure, even Kakashi. An echoing that seemed like steel against a softer object screeched across the area, rebounding off the trees and heading for the skies, scaring the crows in the area away in the process. While nothing seemed to've occurred, their minds kept them pressed against the floor a few more seconds.

Finally, everyone stood back up. An ANBU agent was the first to speak. "Nothing... happened..."

Kakashi observed the trees wearily for an exactitude of ten seconds. "Impossible..." He was by no means fooled with the illusion of nothingness.

They all watched in horror how the trees, one by one, fell over their own weight, griping over the lack of solidity. This continued again and again until a _fifty_ meter circular clearing was made. A perfect spot could be seen from the sky, one where it was filled with men surrounded by dozens of fallen trees. On each stump remained a perfect cut, presuming the work of a sharp blade.

Tenzo could only gawk behind his mask. "Kami..."

Naruto stared up in awe. He had just found another man, who he _knew_ would own his respect for the rest of his life— similar to Kakashi.

"Now Kami," the man grinned in the darkness of his hood. "I have been called before." He rolled the aching shoulder responsible for the surrounding mess. '_It's been decades since I've pulled anything like this,_' he sighed. '_I will _definitely_ wake up sore tomorrow, if at all._'

"KAI!" One ANBU slammed his hands together trying to dispel the Genjutsu. He did it again and again, only for the same result. "Thi-this is impossible! What kind of blade could _possibly_ do something like this?!"

"Blade?" The elderly man conversed casually, painting the cruel sneer that was surely over his lips on everyone's mind. "None of my blades've left their sheath for the longest time. Everything you see around," he waved an arm over the extraordinary view of raw, _crude_ skill. "I did with my _scabbard_..."


	8. Chapter 8

_**Furyan**_

* * *

Disbelieve still lingered heavily in the atmosphere. Why wouldn't it? An old man had succeeded in slicing through countless trees, in what he presumed was a powerful swing of his _scabbard_. Logic defies such a claim. At least, at first glance. But now that the man's aura, killing intent and thirst for blood was suddenly of phenomenal degree, whether unfavorably or stupendously— the ANBU weren't sure, it didn't seem so farfetched.

Tenzo considered his options. There weren't many.

It was obvious to him now— this old man was no normal old man. Hell, this was no normal human. A Shinobi sounded more likely, but even then it sounded implausible, unless said Shinobi had _tremendous_ strength and skill with a blade. He glanced at his men, acknowledging their courage by standing their ground like the veterans they were.

"Nin," he started, holding his tantō in one hand. "Defensive positions, now." The team was faster than usual— considering their dangerous situation, it was no surprise. They surrounded him in a pentagon formation with he in the center. "Sir, I need you to bring out your weapons and surrender them on the floor."

"You're shitting me," the man heaved in laughter, ridiculing Tenzo's request. "Tell me, _Shinobi_. Has somebody ever actually listened to such a request? Be honest." He received no response. "I thought so. Then, what makes you think I, a _true_ veteran, unlike you children, will even _pay_ respects to such a worthless demand, let alone consider it?"

"Then you leave us with a single choice."

The elder man seemed interested at this. "Oh, and what choice is this?"

"Men," Tenzo fiddled with the blade in his hands, causing it to clink as a result. He swallowed, summoning the will power to deny the illogicality of their offense. "Restrain him..."

It all happened in a second.

The old man allowed light to meet part of his face for the first time. They caught sight of a single green eye. The pupil dilated and the world grew unimaginably silent. His worn, facial muscles contorted and his body was overcome by a blue haze that was barely visible. The aura blurred and advanced like a wave, continuously pushed from what many considered a torrent of winds carrying a poisonous mist.

Then it met them individually, blurring their senses and weakening their minds. Overcome by the sudden lack of oxygen circling their brains, they collapsed well among each other like pieces on a chess board forced to succumb to a greater power beyond their control. Foam sourced from their mouths, but nobody could see— residue damage done by the unknown entity.

Kakashi was the only one that remained standing. He watched in horror how his team barely got halfway toward the older male before collapsing among each other. For the first time since leaving Konoha, he was regretting his decision of doing so. "Tenzo, Boar, everyone... What... have you done...?"

"Oh, shit." The older man cursed seeing the knocked out blond foaming from the mouth laying right next to him in a growing puddle of snot. "Tch, I really am bad at this. _That_ idiot was way better at it than me..." He grumbled, leaning down and poking the boy's ribs repeatedly. Pulling his hood back, he glanced at Kakshi. A mop of white hair was revealed with barely noticeable rays of green in the mix. "Don't worry about them— they're just unconscious."

"Unconscious?" Kakashi took the largest sigh of relief in his life. Good, everyone was alive. "I thank you, sir. But, why did you help me? They clearly stated I was a criminal."

"I don't care about that." He muttered dismissing the matter with a simple wave of his hand. "I was once a sort of criminal myself. A long, _long_ time ago..."

Kakashi nodded, though he knew the man hadn't caught it— it was more of a gesture to satisfy his need to make sure that what had just happened was real. This man had just taken out a team of ANBU with a glance. And his face... It screamed of a wise nature. "Um, I don't mean to pry, sir. But would you mind telling me your name?" He stepped forward until he stood next to the elder. "My name is Hatake Kakashi, it is a pleasure to meet you." He bowed respectively.

The man slung Naruto over his shoulder like dead weight. He stood to his full six feet. He turned to Kakashi, nodding in acknowledgement. "Right back at ya. My name..." A lone breeze engulfed them, dragging his long, slicked white hair in a melancholic tango. "Is Roronoa Zoro, or at least..." His gaze went for the heavens, smiling sadly into the blue vastness that reminded him of the sea. "What's left of him..."

* * *

_**+Konoha's Academy+**_

"Class, it hurts me to say that Uzumaki Naruto... has been kidnapped..."

Gasps came from all around and nobody was spared from being shocked by the news. Shikamaru, Kiba, Chōji, Ino, Sakura, even Uchiha _Sasuke_ sat with his mouth agape.

Everyone save Miyuki. She was feeling lightheaded, and even a little nauseas, but she did well to hide it. Her lips couldn't meet just like everyone else's, but it was a mere act. Naruto had told her this would happen— not directly, but she was no fool. Her mind could work out the kinks quite easily.

'_Master Naruto..._' Miyuki cast a glance at the Hyūga sitting right next to her in obvious worry. '_Hinata-chan, hang in there! I can't tell you anything to ease whatever you're feeling... but Master Naruto wouldn't want us to worry for him during the time he will be gone. Please, we have to grow strong together. If not for him, then for us..._'

The tears embracing the creamy cheeks of Hinata did nothing to hide her worry. She openly wept, uncaring of the odd glances she was receiving from her classmates. Naruto, the boy she had finally decided to approach and earn his respect, had been kidnapped. Would she ever see him again? Would he ever see how much she would grow? So many questions roamed her mind, most enhanced in degree by her hysteria.

She felt Miyuki cup her hand and she turned. The blue eyed girl was smiling— though it lacked the usual mirth, it served to reassure Hinata tremendously. She turned to Iruka, praying that there was some sort of hope. "Iruka-sensei, is there a chance to recover him?"

"Don't worry," Iruka continued, smiling as reassuringly as his current mentality could allow. "The best ANBU team in Konoha has been dispatched and it's only a matter of time before they retrieve him!"

By no means was Iruka fooled. Any half-decent Shinobi worth their salt could figure out there was more to this story. Usually, something this grand would stay in the dark, but this time he was _ordered_ to tell Naruto's classmates the news. Even he, a Chūnin, knew that was _not_ procedure. It was almost like the Hokage _wanted_ the news to spread...

But what would the Hokage gain from this? Iruka could figure the news of not having their Jinchūriki would give the impression of a great disadvantage in Konoha's part, giving its enemies some confidence in a possible invasion. Unless there was something to gain from letting the world know their Jinchūriki was missing— but Iruka could only speculate at that point.

"SASUKE-KUN?!"

Iruka's gaze snapped to the open window. Sasuke stood there ready to jump out. "Oi, Sasuke! Where are you going?!"

Sasuke glanced over his shoulder, Sharingan burning with pressurized fury. "Hokage..." He growled, his frosty voice reminding them of a cave spammed with ageless icicles. He was obviously not happy.

Not looking back, Sasuke jumped out. He too was gone on his route to be intercepted by fate.

The fuming Uchiha landed on the fence he and Naruto had skipped over just a few days ago. "You _moron_..." He had gone and got himself kidnapped. The bastard, who the hell did he think he was? He was supposed to be his tool, his object to raise him into the degree of power he deserved. But now, his presence in Konoha was once more meaningless.

He fell on the dirt road and started off toward the Hokage tower. His anger toward the Hokage, he considered, seemed somewhat illogical now. For a moment, he blamed the old man for allowing the blond idiot to get kidnapped. But it wasn't that figurehead's fault, it was the moron's.

Two supposed ANBU agents surrounded him— one in front, one behind.

Sasuke tensed and dropped into a nervous stance. He might be a proud Uchiha, but even he knew the skill and the meaning that came with the four letter title of ANBU— power. "What," he swallowed down the fear in his throat. "Do you people want?"

"It's not about what we want," the one in front corrected emotionally dead. "It is what _you_ want, Uchiha Sasuke. We are no mere ANBU, we are Ne— the _true_ elite. We are the group that adamantly protects the great tree that is Konoha from the darkness. The group that autonomously keeps this village alive, and the organization that takes the missions no other Konoha Shinobi would, or willingly take. Now, tell me," the man's voice fell to a hollow whisper. "What is it that you most desire?"

Sasuke was sold the moment he heard the word elite. He grinned, his Sharingan tempting to come out for some fresh air. "I desire _power_..."

* * *

_**+Hokage's Tower, the Next Day+**_

"Sandaime-sama!"

Sarutobi glanced up from his work. A desperate looking Chūnin, who was obviously in panic, slammed the door open taking huge gapes of air. "Sir! Huge trouble!"

The old Hokage ignored the feeling of alarm welling in his chest. Hopefully, it would be nothing serious and he was merely being lead by his paranoia of the Naruto and Kakashi ordeal. "Calm yourself. What has happened?"

"Sir!" The male Chūnin stood at attention. "According to Umino Iruka-san, Uchiha Sasuke has gone missing!"

Crap...

"The child did not report to class today, and at first, Umino-san seemingly brushed it aside as some sort of illness. However, when he went to deliver the boy's homework for the day, the small apartment he lives in was empty! Not just him, but all his possessions are also gone!"

One perpetrator instantly came to mind. He scowled, barely keeping control over his killing intent. "GET ME DANZO, _NOW!_"

"Ha-hai! Sandaime-sama!"

That shady bastard...

Sarutobi went around his desk and draped his hat over it. He leaned against the edge and crossed his arms. '_I knew I wasn't going to come out without collateral for my decision... I knew Danzo would make his own move— but not this soon. I thought I would have more time, dammit...!_'

"Hiruzen." The shadowy figure that was the previous leader of Ne stepped in. He closed the door behind him. His air of superiority and confidence was clear. "You called for me. May I ask for what?"

The Professor had trouble restraining himself from snapping his once friend's neck. "Danzo, you _dare_...?" The man in question only stared back. "Deny it, if you will. But do _not_ act innocent before me, or I swear on our long lost friendship I WILL KILL YOU WHERE YOU _STAND!_"

Danzo was undeterred by the threat. As if it were that easy to get rid of him. "What are you talking about?"

All their life they had taken swings on each other in a manner few could recognize as silent warfare. Danzo would spearhead the Uchiha massacre behind his back, and Sarutobi would 'dissolve' his little branch of Ne in repercussion. Danzo would pull a dangerous move risking war and Hiruzen would crush whatever influence he held in the village. This time it was different— they were playing with the lives of two nearly extinct clans, both knew this. Which is why neither would succumb to the other's whim.

Hiruzen flashed from existence. He reappeared in front of Danzo, the latter's throat in the Sandaime's hand. "You know well what I'm referring to, Danzo! Do not act the fool and insult my intelligence by playing innocent! I WILL ONLY WARN YOU _ONCE!_"

Danzo visibly grit his teeth and strained himself to keep his self true. "I do not know what you're talking about, Hiruzen!" He used his available hand to clutch his superior's wrist and glared deep into his worn pupils. "Instead, tell me! What really happened to Uzumaki _Furyan_ Naruto, huh?! The Tsuchikage's _barber_ knows what happened to the boy! What is _Konoha_ planning with such a foolish move?!"

"Is that what this is about?!" Hiruzen fumed. "Hatake Kakashi became a Missing Nin and kidnapped _Uzumaki_ Naruto! And say that clan's name before me again, and I will _not_ hesitate to sentence you to death for exposing national secrets!"

"Are we playing this game AGAIN, _Hiruzen_?!" Danzo screeched, growling lowly. "I have no idea what you speak of! Please, enrich me with what you mean!"

Hiruzen tightened his hold on the man's neck. "Uchiha Sasuke has gone missing! What exactly are you planning?!"

"Nothing!" Danzo declared. "I do not know of the brat's whereabouts! And instead of arguing with me by spouting out weightless accusations, shouldn't you be sending out Shinobi to find the child before we lose him for good?!"

Hiruzen shoved Danzo back, causing him to stumble. Baring his clenched teeth and narrowing his flaming eyes, Sarutobi spoke lowly. "Don't worry— the child _will_ return. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow. However, I _guarantee_ he will be back before we _find_ Uzumaki Naruto. And if he returns _damaged_ in any way, then I will _personally_ make sure whoever is responsible receives the excruciating death that has been delayed since years ago. That I _swear_ in Shodaime-sama, and Nidaime-sama's name."

"Hmph." Danzo adjusted himself with whatever dignity he had left. "Then I hope whoever _kidnapped_ the Uchiha boy will be wise to do just as." He turned and walked away to his business.

Hiruzen watched Danzo close the door behind him. Once more, they had played each other's cards, with neither winning, but neither losing. The threat had been made, however. And that all on its own was a loss and a time limit placed upon Danzo's shoulders. Unlike Naruto, Sasuke would be back before the teams would be official— his threat was made clear to Danzo.

Still, Sarutobi couldn't help feel somewhat powerless to retrieve Sasuke. He had no proof Danzo had the young Uchiha under him. But just like he, Danzo had no proof Naruto was under his agenda. They were in a stalemate. And unfortunately, the bureaucracy of Konoha was more complicated than giving the order to terminate Danzo and his little group of Ne— at least without definite proof of their existence. Still, the powers behind him were more on his side as Hokage.

Neither could truly take out the other, but both had to learn to coexist nonetheless. However, someday, Sarutobi knew he would reach the point where his patience would be overshadowed by Danzo's actions, leading him to make one last move with one flawless philosophy: Fuck the system.

* * *

_**+The Land of Hot Water+**_

Kakashi was actually starting to feel the effects of exhaustion. Feeling responsible for knocking the little blond out, Zoro had invited them to his home for Naruto to recover. That was five hours ago. "Roronoa-san..." Kakashi spoke for the first time since they left Tenzo and his team. "We've been walking for over five hours, literally on the same direction."

Zoro turned toward him as they walked. "Cut that Roronoa crap— just call me Zoro. Besides, I've been reading this perfectly put together map. There's no way we've been going straight for two hours straight."

"Um, may I have a look?" He inquired, matching his step.

Zoro sighed in annoyance. "Whatever, here."

Kakashi took the 'map' and deadpanned. It was a blank, old piece of paper. He turned the piece of paper around and found the real side of the map. He turned to Zoro, his visible eyebrow twitching in disbelieve.

Zoro only lifted a single white eyebrow. "What?"

"Zoro-san," he started. "You've been staring at the blank side of the map for the past five hours. How is that possible?"

"What?!" He slapped the map from Kakashi's hands. He stared at it, his brain in obvious strain by the look of constipation on his face. "Wha- who the hell wrote this thing? Why would they make a blank side to a map in the first place?!"

Kakashi slapped the map back and grumbled about lack of seriousness. "Ok..." He stopped, and Zoro did the same. Sighing in aspiration, he did a one eighty and started walking, Zoro right next to him. "Amazing. Somehow, you lead us in the completely _opposite_ direction of where you were headed. I honestly believe it takes a special sort of talent to have such a horrible sense of direction."

"Tch," Zoro snorted, adjusting the blond over his shoulder. "It's not ma fault all these damn trees look the same. They don't make em like they used to."

Kakashi shook his head examining the map. "Where were you going when you ran into us by the way?"

"Sake," Zoro immediately replied. "I was going to the nearest village for some sake— my warehouse was running low and I would've had to wait another hour for the guys who usually bring it to me. I can't wait that long for my sake— it's inhumane."

"I... Agree, I guess..."

Another few hours of travel later and they came upon a giant clearing in the center of the forestry. In the middle of it all stood a small mansion mostly made out of wood, enclosed by various smaller pine trees. In the area around, several patios crafted out of the same wood about the house offered shade to a pair of chairs and tables— all made of the same material and colored in homey colors. Distant from them, several other clearings took up space— almost like grounds made to take a beating.

It was enough to make Kakashi feel impressed by the spartan, while concurrently luxuries area. "It's perfect..."

Zoro shrugged as he came to the clearing. "I'm not one for luxury. All I need to be happy is a bottle of sake, my blades, and a little excitement here and there. However, a certain woman taught me that having a little comfort in the form of materials... never hurt anyone..."


	9. Chapter 9

_**Furyan**_

* * *

_**+3 Years Later+**_

"It's been three years, Miyuki-chan..."

"I... noticed..."

"We're in a Genin team..."

"Quite the talent you have for stating the obvious, eh?"

"Who is our sensei...? We've only had random D-Missions with Team Eight for the past month!"

"Hina-chan, I'm having trouble acknowledging your sanity."

"We don't even know our third teammate."

"Are you listening?"

"I want to see him _so_ much... I bet he's our third missing member!"

"You have officially gone cuckoo." Miyuki's pun went unanswered. "I miss him too, Hinata— unbelievably so. But you need to realize that the odds of Master Naruto being our third mysterious member, whom has been gone for ages by the way, are the same as Kiba-kun giving up in his attempts at measuring my 'developing' breasts."

Hinata, who pouted dejectedly, crossed her arms over her flat tummy. "I still think you're being a little too bashful with him..."

"And _you_ need to stop trying to tie a red bow around us," Miyuki shot back. "I don't like him like that— at all. He's nice... But he's a perv."

Hinata gawked, "He's not a perv!" Miyuki's poker-faced look made Hinata feel foolish. "Well, he's a boy— it's normal for his age." Miyuki's now _pitiful_ look was starting to irk her. "Fine, he's a bit of a pervert!"

"He tried to steal my sports bra just yestarday."

Hinata glared heatedly, but harmlessly. "I hate you..."

Miyuki's laugh was heard throughout the entirety of Konoha's park. On their way toward the Hokage Tower, they had decided to cut through the central park because Miyuki was suffering from cramps. Apparently, neither Hyūga or Furyan females were spared from mother nature's cruel humor. However, both girls had decided, that while they could do nothing to stop the order of things, neither could Mother Nature stop them from calling her a merciless bitch.

Miyuki had noticed various things through these past years. Hinata, who had seemed somewhat reserved, but not to the point of being considered shy when they were in the Academy, had gained a sharp edge that deemed her less of a shut-in. She was proud to admit that the one responsible for such an effect was her constant involvement in the Hyūga's life.

Hinata also knew she had given Miyuki something worthy of a noble clan; class. Miyuki used to be brash, impulsive and childish. Now she was plain honest. If you were messing up in any sort of situation, she wouldn't hesitate to call you out in the worst way possible— by laughing at your mistake and adding lime juice over the open wound. Of course, Hinata knew that was but a face of her playful character. Besides all that, Hinata knew she was the kindest girl she had ever met— despite her teasing nature.

The way Miyuki helped her in processing the grief left by Naruto's disappearance was testament to that.

Over the course and flow of time, both had come to understand the other's presence had influenced each other's personality in a parallel way. When one was down, the other was there to lift her back up. When one was happy, the other was there to enhance that happiness twofold. And when both were angry, hell hath no fury like a female Hyūga and Furyan's scorn.

Very close sisters could probably understand their mutual relationship.

* * *

_**+Hokage's Office+**_

"Good news, ladies. You're meeting your sensei and your third member today." The Hokage stamped another paper, stapled it over a document and processed it into a yellow sleeve, stamping that too. "I know I have been keeping Team Seven on hold for a while, but I trust your fate in this old leader has not wavered over the past month. And since those Hitai-ates over your left biceps have yet to even suffer a scratch, I believe that to be the case."

"Well damn." Miyuki piped, her blue eyes blinking repeatedly in disbelief. "This day has suddenly turned out to be one of the best I've ever had."

"Perfect," the Sandaime smiled. "Because your sensei is here right," a sudden torrent of winds came from the window behind the elder Shinobi. "Now. Girls, I would like you to meet one of the most distinguished Jōnins Konoha has ever had the pleasure of having, Hatake Kakashi."

His silver hair tugged by the repercussions of moving at ridiculous speeds, Hatake Kakashi stood in front of Sarutobi's desk with an orange book in his hand. His presence looked almost worthy of a marble statue in his honor. "Yo," the Jōnin cladded man greeted, his headband covering a single eye. "I'll be honest; you two don't look very impressive."

A snarl from Miyuki, and a small frown from Hinata was what he received. "Let me guess," he chirped, a crescent smile splashed across his mask, yet to even look at them. "You two know who I am and what I did, right?"

"Hokage-sama!" Miyuki was the first to snap. "Why is a criminal like him running around Konoha like a bird in mating season?! Isn't he the one who abducted Uzumaki Naruto, a student in _our_ class?!"

"He was suspected to, yes." The Hokage responded without flinching. The girl's eyes only narrowed, but he only signed the paper before him in dismissal. "The leader and sensei of Team Seven is now officially Hatake Kakashi, a _innocent_ man. If either of you have a problem with that, then feel free to turn in your Hitai-ates honorably."

Miyuki clutched the band hugging her left bicep. A tug on her sleeve from Hinata, and she quickly reeled herself in. An act that did not go unnoticed by Kakashi. The Jōnin narrowed his one eye boorishly. "Something tells me you both hold a special spot for that blond idiot, eh?"

The obvious lure did its thing.

However, Kakashi was suprised to sense that the first to take a threatening step forward was _Hinata_, not Miyuki. He raised one snow white eyebrow and glanced up from his novel. He could feel the unease coming from his superior, but Kakashi knew what he was doing. He snapped his book shut, "Listen here; I don't like you, and you don't like me. And to be honest, I couldn't care less. If you have a problem with me, feel free to consult the ground, because it'll pretty much give the same response I will."

'_Bastard...!_' Miyuki visibly restrained herself from pouncing forward, while the veins around Hinata's Byakugan eyes bulged by the heartbeat.

Satisfied, Kakashi nodded. "Well then, on to our third member in Team Seven. Hokage-sama?"

His hands twined before his aged face, Sarutobi grunted in approval.

He had an idea of what Kakashi was trying, but he couldn't quite well grasp his true intentions. Two weeks prior, Kakashi had turned up at Konoha's gates, unarmed and _alone_. The reaction of Konoha's council was obvious— they were in shock. Still, the overlapping steps were to be followed as procedure demands; jailed and under constant supervision of Konoha's T&I force, whiles keeping the public from knowing. Even through the efforts of Ibiki, Kakashi hadn't uttered a single word until his meeting with him.

It was obvious the Sharingan wielder had one of the strongest minds to have ever existed.

After mountains of bureaucracy constipation and appealing to the judicial system to release the man by Hokage's order, they faltered in a death sentence. There was nothing that could inculpate him over the child's whereabout or demise, and nobody to testify against him— Tenzo and his team reported they had found nothing in their search for Kakashi. Not until he brought about a full-scale martial law, removing power from the council branch, was Kakashi released the very next hour.

God bless his newly originated philosophy.

Of course, the ramifications came yesterday _after_ people realized Kakashi was let off with no more than a spanking, so to speak. And it hurt to admit it, but Sarutobi knew the tensions between the members of those who dislike Naruto and those who don't was very aiding. Their concern over the problem lingered for a while— Konoha was without a Jinchūriki. However, releasing his trump card, Sarutobi took the cake.

A polite knock at the door halted all tension inside the room.

Sarutobi cleared his throat and spoke like the commander he was, "Come in, we're ready for you."

The girls' eyes took less than a second to lock with the door.

Hinata felt her chest about to burst with excitement and glee, and Miyuki could swear her heart was thundering loud enough for everyone to hear. She almost laughed at herself— moments ago, she was goading Hinata on the idea that Naruto being their mysterious last member was ludicrous. But now, when the possibility was practically slapping her in the face, she held onto that farfetched idea like the knot keeping her Hitai-ate tight around her arm.

Sarutobi's trump card stepped in. The heir to the prestigious Uchiha clan closed the door behind him. Sharingan burning and his high-collard, navy blue Uchiha shirt in obvious view, the teen dashed away any hopes the girls had of their last member being Uzumaki Naruto. Instead, it was the complete opposite of Naruto. "Uchiha Sasuke, at your service, Hokage-sama."

By the response, Sarutobi was sure— even through Ne's merciless regime, the boy remained cynical and detached. While unwilling to admit it, that was what Sarutobi wanted. "Come in, child. Join your team."

Giving a snort at the word 'team', Sasuke lined up next to Miyuki, his hands veiled by the sewn pockets his shorts offered. "Team... No doubt they'll just be extra luggage for me to carry." He muttered not bothering to mask his displeasure.

Miyuki puffed her cheeks in annoyance, "Aren't _you_ the bright ray of sunshine."

"Miyuki-chan..." Hinata scolded lightly.

"What? It's true..."

Kakashi willed down the sigh leaping for attention in his throat. '_This isn't looking good, Naruto..._' Deciding to put his internal musings on halt, Kakashi clapped his hands like he was trying to attract a child's attention. "Alright, alright, boys and girls. I've been in the joint long enough to realize time is precious. First, tell me your name, likes, dislikes and dreams." Arms draped over each other, he pointed at Hinata with little to no interest. "You first, Hyūga-chan."

Scowling with whatever dignity she had, Hinata answered. "My name is _Hyūga_ Hinata," she said, pride embellishing her clan name. "I like pressing flowers, cinnamon rolls, and I don't like _rude_ people. My dream is to change my clan for the better."

"Ok," Kakashi mumbled, ignoring her little fit. He aimed his magic finger at Miyuki with the same attitude. "Your turn, Purple-chan."

Gagging at the nickname, Miyuki followed Hinata's example. "My name is Miyuki, I like taiyaki, and no, it's not because it rhymes with my name. I don't like those that ignore other people's feelings. My dream is... my own business." None could ignore the heat overtaking her cheeks once she recalled said dream.

Kakashi seemingly ignored the reaction. '_To think she's a female Fuyan..._' Finally, his finger rested on Sasuke. "Your turn, Loner-chan."

Sasuke couldn't care less over the attempt at his pride. "My name is Uchiha Sasuke. I don't particularly like anything, nor do I hate anything. My dream... No, it's more of an ambition," his voice dropped various degrees. "Is to kill a certain man."

'_Unsurprising..._' Kakashi sorrowfully thought. "Alright, enough with the dready-ness. You guys have another test that you _must_ complete if you expect me to even _consider_ taking you on."

"Eh?" Hinata inquired, remorseful over the sudden announcement. "Another test, Kakashi-sensei?"

Ignoing the warmth of hearing the added suffix to his name, Kakashi nodded. "That's right. As you may have noticed, this team isn't your regular Genin team— two girls and one boy is not procedure. The reason for this," he made his way for the window and spared them but a glance over his shoulder. "Will be explained if you complete tomorrow's test. The location will be Training Ground Three, six AM sharp. Have a healthy breakfast," his eye turned into a half-moon smile. "Or you _will_ die."

* * *

_**+Next Day, Training Ground Three, 1 P.M.+**_

Something Sasuke hated was waiting. Ne had taught him to be patient, calculative and swift, yes, but this was overdoing it. As he meditated under the shade of a tree, his 'teammates' were playing _tag_ around the stumps in the grounds. He cringed, he had no doubt these idiots would be nothing but a cancer in his rise to power— a useless disease that would hinder his growth.

Hearing their infuriating twitters and giggling, he mingled with the odds of getting away with murder in a Shinobi village.

"Mornin', folks!"

Prodding his Sharingan eyes open, Sasuke frowned. "You're late."

Ignoring the fuming Uchiha, Kakashi twinkled a couple of bells in one hand, while setting down a plastic bag with bentos on a log with the other. "Gather around, gather around, children! I'm sure you're hungry, so let's get started with your test." The aspiring Genins did as ordered and stood before the Jōnin. "As you can see, I have two bells. Your job is to take these bells before this," he placed a timer above one of the wooden stumps and clicked it. "Starts ringing. If you do so, you will pass and be allowed to have one of the bento— easy as that."

Miyuki could barely stop the bile from accumulating at the back of her throat. "Ka-Kaka-sensei, why are there only two bells and two bentos?"

Kakashi grinned, "I think all three of you are smart enough to figure out the consequences of two pairs and not three, Purple-chan."

"Bollocks." Sasuke confidently claimed. "Not even in ANBU are there three men cells, especially apprentice cells. What game are you playing, Kakashi?"

Kakashi hummed innocently at the Uchiha's words. "You make a valid point, Sasuke. However, remember when I said this team wasn't your regular Genin team...?" He savored the sweet taste of realization shinning upon all three of his would-be students. "Ah, I'm seeing some gears turning now. That's right, only two of you will have the honor of becoming my precious pupils. The loser will go back to the Academy for supplementary lessons _immediately_."

An awkward and uncomfortable silence spread between the three teens, and Kakashi knew he was doing a hell of a job at separating them.

Hinata felt her confidence waver by Kakashi's words. Still, when she dared to glimpse at Miyuki, such thoughts were immediately replaced by hope. Her friend was smiling at her. She returned it and realized both of them had the same thought— they would not allow themselves to be separated.

Something Sasuke immediately realized was that whoever ended up this man's student, would undoubtedly triumph and overcome whatever standards in power he or she had instigated upon themselves. And that was something he would _kill_ to gain. Now all he had to do was figure out something vital. He glanced at his possible prospects, '_Which one of you will hold me back the least?_'

"Sasuke," Kakashi suddenly said, tying the tinkling bells around his pouch belt. "I know what you're thinking. Let me give you a fair bit of warning," he narrowed his one eye. "You will _not_ get either of these bells with that thought process."

After those words, Kakashi found himself wondering _why_ he did it— give Sasuke such unfair advice. He had seen himself in those scarlet eyes for a moment and couldn't help feel that if he allowed Sasuke to continue as he is, he would fail the similar test Naruto had already aced. He did it almost unconsciously, unknowing of what he would say. Nonetheless, he believed he did the right thing— even if it was unfair to Naruto.

"Alright pups," Kakashi pulled out his favorite novel and started reading. "Scatter."

They all disappeared in the Training Ground's shadows.

Spewing his scarlet gaze through a tree branch, Sasuke groused Kakashi's words. '_What the hell did he mean by that...?_' Shaking unwanted thoughts, Sasuke prepped a carefully constructed plan. Jōnin or not, he _would_ get those bells.

"Hina-hime," Miyuki whispered. "Can you see him? Is he plotting something?"

Hinata's Byakugan merely hovered over Kakashi's figure. "He's... just standing there." She gasped, a blush coloring her cheeks a beautiful rose.

"Hinata-chan...! What's wrong...?!"

Hinata fought back the flush obstructing her thought process to no avail. "Kami-sama... What is he _reading_...?!"

"Hi girls!"

"KYAAH!"

Both girls launched out of the bushes they were hiding at a speed even Kakashi considered impressive. The Copy Nin just stood up from their hiding spot, a small smile behind his double mask. "This, my little buttercup dolls of cuteness, is called Icha Icha Paradise. A brilliant book that only a genius could possibly conjure."

"G-genius?!" Hinata stuttered. She hadn't stuttered in years. "Th-that book is nothing but smut! I managed to read a few passages and, and...!" She steamed with embarrassment. "Kami-sama, please forgive him...!"

"Oi, oi..." Kakashi's snarky smile dropped to make way for an impish grin. "We're all allowed a little pleasure in our lives, Hinata. There's no need for you to try and repent me!" A sudden barrage of shuriken embed across Kakashi's entire left side.

Hinata and Miyuki only felt a numbing, noiseless gasp escape them at the sight. "KAKASHI-SENSEI!"

_*POOF!*_

Kakashi was replaced by a log. He appeared near a tree, only for that tree to try and kill him with another group of very deadly kunai. For the first time, he removed his eye from his joyful work of fiction. '_A backup trap?_' He weaved through the kunai with finesse worthy of an ANBU operative. Searching his surroundings, he came to the realization that he was surrounded by a perfect circle of Explosive Tags. His eyes went for the sky, '_No way...!_'

Sasuke's quick seal work was instinctive. "_Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!_" (_Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique_)

Kakashi's eyes filled with awe at the sight of a grand ball of sizzling fire— from a brat who shouldn't even have this much chakra. '_He wants me to face the Jutsu, huh?_' He scoffed. A flood of concentrated energy strengthened his body beyond normal capacity. The sounds of systematic explosions and the flames of a fatal Jutsu reached him, encompassing him with the near volcanic heat.

Sasuke didn't care that Kakashi was just standing there after the explosion. He didn't care he wasn't even smoked, charred, coughing or that only his precious book had turned into ash. All he cared about was the kunais rigged to launch when the Exposive Tags went off.

Kakashi turned, dodging said kunais that came uncomfortably close to the bells. They ringed while in the air, but that was normal. What he didn't expect was that they would stop ringing because Sasuke had them firmly grasped in his hands, a kunai reeled back ready to slice through the threads keeping them bind to his belt. '_What...? He used a Shunshin with such control?! Almost like...! Uchiha Shisui...!_'

Taking a firm grip over the nerves around Sasuke's wrist, Kakashi forced him to release the bells with a bountiful cringe. He sweeped the teen off his feet and brought down his elbow on the latter's stomach. "GUAAH!" In midair, Sasuke released the kunai unwillingly.

Once on the floor, Kakashi caught the kunai and sat on the teen's stomach, the kunai pressed against Sasuke's throat. "Quite the dangerous mind and technique you have there, Loner-chan." Kakashi teased, grinning at the boy's fiery Sharingan eyes. "You just fried my copy of the most recent book in the series. Guess who's gonna have to pay for that?"

This time, the girls came out of the charred grass at the same time, their hands inches from the bells. Kakashi remained seated, '_Doton: Moguragakure no Jutsu, huh...?_' (_Earth Release: Hiding Like a Mole Technique_)

Kakashi spinned as he rose. He pressed one of his sandals on Sasuke's neck and lifted the girls by taking their wrist in his hands. "Man, you kids sure know how to make a guy break a sweat. Well, if I was a Chūnin."

_*POOF*_

The 'girls' burst into white smoke, and Kakashi sighed, "_Bunshin_, how predictable." This time, the real pair came out of the ground behind him. Each managed to touch the bells with the tips of their fingers. Not allowing any more contact, Kakashi spinned while keeping Sasuke pinned and took the necks of both girls in each of his arms. "Too slow, my pair of porcelain dolls, too slow."

The alarm started ringing to signal the end of the test. "I'll be honest, you guys did a lot better than I expected." He released the squirming girls and allowed Sasuke to stand back up. "Still, you failed; all of you." He waited for their gloomy looks of despair to carve into their resolve a little. "Well, it's what I would like to say, but since I have a heart, I'll be giving you another chance."

Their little smirks and smiles brought one of his own— they were so damn cute. "Yosh, everyone but Sasuke gets a bento."

"What?!" Sasuke snarled.

"What?" Kakashi glared down at his pupil with ire. "Did you already forget _you_ were the one who turned one of my precious works of literature into ash?"

* * *

_**+Ten Minutes Later+**_

"This is degrading." Sasuke fumed at his status. Kakashi had thought it appropriate to tie him around one of the three wooden stumps, and have the girls eat their precious bento right next to him. "Kakashi, I swear I will burn your entire collection to a crisp one day..." His claim for revenge went sour when his stomach growled. He blushed, but it wasn't out of anger.

Hinata and Miyuki giggled, making Sasuke feel like a superheated liquid in a pressurized chamber threatening to explode.

"Dont laugh, Miyuki-chan...! It's rude...!"

"You might as well ask me to grow some wings...!"

Sasuke wondered if he could force himself to pass out if he held his breath long enough. "Both of you are so annoying..." He cursed his growling stomach once more. Willing his Sharingan into a needed slumber, he began a sequence of breathing exercises to lull his craving for solid substance.

Seeing this, the girls frowned worriedly. Hinata gave Miyuki a look, while the latter shook her head furiously, as if telling her she knew her intentions. Hinata pursed her bottom lip at the female Furyan and Miyuki rolled her eyes before conceding with a nod. Hinata brought her hands together, "Byakugan!" A quick scan of the surroundings informed her they were alone. "Clear...!"

"Un!" Nodding, Miyuki took a healthy bulge of rice and offered it to Sasuke. "Here," she tried to fight back her embarrassment, but failed miserably. "Say, ahhh.."

Sasuke literally stared at her as if she'd grown another head. He scowled, "Don't, you'll get us disqualified...!"

Miyuki hissed in annoyance. "Not so loud, baka...! We need you just as much as you need us, so shove your pride where light has never been and eat...! _This_ is degrading..." She grumbled, nearing the rice to his lips.

Sasuke stared at her. What ulterior motive did this female have to feed him? "What is it that you girls want...?"

"Nothing...!" Hinata was the one to sound upset this time. "Sasuke-kun, just eat something and let's do this together...! We need you at your full strength..."

Sasuke was unprepared for the sudden feeling of vulnerability swelling up in his chest. He didn't know if it was the ropes, his hunger, or perhaps their selfless kindness— all he knew was that he felt bare with his expression stuck in disbelieve and humbleness. Kakashi's words replayed in his mind, and he sighed, deciding that he would indeed need to be at one hundred percent to even stand a chance against Kakashi. "Tch,"

When he opened his mouth, Miyuki smiled and fed the tied up Uchiha. "See? That wasn't so hard...!" She ignored the way his eyebrow twitched in annoyance over her cheerfulness.

"YOU GUUUUUUYS!"

"KYAAAH!"

Stormy clouds of evil swarmed the area and Kakashi came out of the ground with his fists tight and ready to pound some heads. The girls cowered before his giant height, while Sasuke visibly grit his teeth in anguish, Sharingan instinctively returning to his pupils.

Thunder wrecked their sense of hearing dramatically and so did their clattering teeth in response to the powerful intent to kill. Suddenly, it all disappeared and Kakashi leaned forward, a marvelous grin gracing his covered face. "YOU PASS! CONGRATULATIONS!"

* * *

_**+Hokage's Office+**_

"Are you serious?!" Miyuki bellowed at her newly appointed sensei. "You acted like a butt, and we went through all that just so you could make sure we would _defy_ the rules?!"

"Miyuki!" Hinata pinched the latter's cheek unceremoniously. "It's a lot deeper than that! You're being rude to Kakashi-sensei, apologize!"

"Ow, ow! Ok, ok!" She rubbed her aching cheek, pouting at the traitorous Hinata. "Fine...! I'm sorry, Kaka-sensei..."

Kakashi and Sarutobi chuckled at the pair, while Sasuke leaned against a wall uncaring over the whole situation. The lone Uchiha just wanted to start doing some missions. He had yet to take a single one, even in his time with Ne they had refused to let him indulge himself in one— they said it was something about not having authorization to send him in one... From Ne's leader.

"Alright guys," Kakashi chimed in. "It's time for you guys to meet the last addition to our team."

Silence suddenly echoed inside the Hokage's quarters.

Sasuke was the one who could no longer bear the lack of sound. "What do you mean, Kakashi-sensei? We're already a three man cell, how can another...?"

Kakashi lifted a single gloved hand to silence him. "Like I said, your team isn't normal. That's why," Kakashi went for his pouch and pulled out a single, tri-pronged kunai. His eye inspected the clock hanging from the wall— just in time. "I never said _you_ were the last missing element in our team..."

Sarutobi gawked at the inscription over the handle of that sharp blade. Its handle was black, the wording was red, but the blade itself was dark as night. "That formula...?! Kakashi, don't tell me...?!" He shot from his seat, his chair scraping against the floor. "You told me he would be back, but why didn't you inform me he had gained control over _that_ Jutsu?!"

Kakashi smiled slyly under the shadow of his face. "He wanted it to be a surprise for you, Hokage-sama..." He twirled the blade around his index finger using the ring at the top of the handle as leverage. He could already feel the charge of energy coursing through the metal.

Hinata took two steps forward. "_He_, Kakashi-sensei...?" She questioned. Her voice was numb.

Kakashi turned to them, his eye brimming with pride— the kunai continuously circled his ring finger without stopping. "That's right, him." Permitting the kunai to trail the remainder of his finger, Kakashi allowed it to slip off and spin in midair.

_*FLASH!*_

For a second, a blink of yellow and red splashed the walls of the room with its heightened colors. A blond with messy, wild hair appeared in mid flip and caught the tri-pronged kunai in his hand. He landed on the wooden floor soundlessly, one sandle solidly on the ground, while the other had its backend separated from the room's floor by a few inches.

The teen was cladded in a dark, sleeveless zip up shirt over a fishnet, and equally black cargo shorts and sandals. His Konoha Hiatai-ate was tied around his right wrist, a pair of black goggles were over his forehead, and a couple of ulak blades were strapped to his back. The luminous eyes of the nearly extinct Furyan clan inspected the room. Finally, they spearheaded through the only females in the room to lock with its prey— the Sharingan.

Naruto grinned, "Sasuke-teme, your eyes... They look _frail_..."

* * *

_**A/N: If you're interested in seeing what Miyuki looks like at the moment, there's a link in my profile to Deviant.**_


End file.
